HEALTH

Dementia

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of Government support for research into the causes and treatment of dementia; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework for Older People highlights the development of services for people with dementia as a high priority. As such, future research underpinning the continued development of services for older people will take full account of dementia services.
	We welcomed the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of anti dementia drugs in January last year. The widespread availability for the anti dementia drugs appraised will have a profound effect on the quality of life for mental health sufferers; it will tilt the balance of specialist services towards earlier diagnosis and a more clinic-based approach than has been the case to date. With £12 million being made available for the prescribing of these drugs, it is expected that 15,000 people will benefit from NICE's guidance.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC), the main agency through with the Government support research on the causes and treatment of disease and funded via the Department of Trade and Industry, spent approximately £8.2 million on dementia research in 2000–01.

Ward Refurbishments

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been made available to the Worthing and Southlands hospital trust over the last five years for the refurbishment of wards.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 11 January 2002
	Each year national health service trusts receive an allocation of capital to be spent at the trust's discretion, referred to as block capital.
	The Worthing and Southlands trust's allocations for the last five years were:
	
		
			  Block capital allocation Increase on previous year 
			  (£000) (£000) (Percentage) 
		
		
			 1997–98 775 — — 
			 1998–99 930 155 20.5 
			 1999–2000 1,589 659 70.9 
			 2000–01 1,610 21 1.3 
			 2001–02 1,983 373 23.2 
		
	
	Regarding revenue, in 2000–01 and 2001–02 the trusts received additional ring-fenced ward budgets specifically available to be spent at the discretion of the ward sister. These were £2,500 per ward in 2000–01 and £5,000 per ward, £150,000 in total, in 2001–02.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in Good Policy Making.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W.

Mortality Rate

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government are doing to help reduce the UK's seasonal mortality rate.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) on 31 January 2002, Official Report, columns 363–66W.

Addiction (Young People)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount will be spent in the next financial year to assist (a) pre-teenagers and (b) teenagers in dealing with (i) alcohol and (ii) tobacco addictions.

Hazel Blears: The funds spent on the treatment of alcohol and tobacco addiction among children and young people form part of the general budgets allocated to health authorities and local authorities. The amounts devoted to each cannot be separately identified.

Multiple Sclerosis (Drug Prices)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with pharmaceutical companies which manufacture disease modifying drugs for MS concerning their pricing policy for the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 8 February 2002, Official Report, column 1241W.

Anorexia

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further action he is taking to improve support to those diagnosed with anorexia.

Jacqui Smith: We want to ensure that all mental health problems are addressed through good quality services which are sensitive to service users needs, gender and ethnicity. That is why we published a National Service Framework (NSF) for mental health, in September 1999. This sets national standards in five key areas with time scales and targets for achievement. Eating disorders, including anorexia, is one of the common mental health problems, which the framework seeks to address.
	We have made significant additional investment in mental health services—£700 million over three years in addition to the £3 billion already invested. Strong monitoring mechanisms have been introduced to ensure that money for mental health is actually spent on implementing the NSF. It is for health authorities to plan and decide on the level of additional investment locally to meet the standards of NSF in relation to eating disorders.
	Services for people with eating disorders have been defined as specialist mental health services. This means that primary care trusts will be expected to act collaboratively to ensure that the right level and quality of service is available to their populations. The new strategic health authorities will have a role in ensuring that this happens. Consideration is also being given to a means of achieving national oversight of specialised mental health services to ensure that they become increasingly available to the whole population.
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be developing a specific guideline on the management of eating disorders and the further development of NHS Direct will mean that eating disorders sufferers will be able to get first-level advice and referral on to specialised helplines or to local services.
	We support a number of charitable organisations in this field, including the Eating Disorders Association and 'Weight Concern'.

Churches Child Protection Advisory Service

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service has spent the section 64 funding allocated to it by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The section 64 scheme core grant of £48,000 per year over the three years from 2000–01 to 2002–03 was awarded to help fund the central administrative costs of the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. The grant is being used by the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, among other things, to:
	Develop programmes to prevent abuse and support families;
	Help churches and other organisations prepare and implement child protection policies;
	Provide advice in individual cases through a telephone helpline and face-to-face contact;
	Provide advice to social services and the police carrying out child protection inquiries in religious communities, and counselling to church leaders, adults and children before, during and after such inquiries;
	Provide advice and support to denominational child protection advisers; and
	Run child protection training events across the country.

Technology Advisory Group

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) remit and (b) responsibilities of the Technology Advisory Group are; and if he will list (i) the members and (ii) their declared interests.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The Technologies Advisory Group is an internal Department of Health committee, with external advisers, which advises Ministers on topics which might be referred for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Members of the group and advisers are asked to declare interests in relation to specific topics under discussion. We will shortly be publishing a consultation paper with proposals to clarify and strengthen the way in which topics are selected for referral to NICE, including proposals for the future composition of the Technologies Advisory Group.

Perioperative Death

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he knew that the National Confidential Inquiry into Perioperative Death's report, "Changing the Way we Operate", would be published on 4 December 2001; and when he first saw a copy of the report.

Yvette Cooper: The National Confidential Inquiry into Perioperative Death told the Department in August 2001 that it intended to publish its report in December. It confirmed on 30 October that the date would be 4 December. An advance copy of the report was sent to the Department on 21 November.

Correspondence

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letters of 14 November and 13 December from the hon. Member for Spelthorne about his constituent J. Packman's letter to him dated 1 October.

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent on 24 January 2002.

Heart Bypass Operations

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait for heart bypass operations (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) of patients in Gloucestershire was in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Data are not collected on average waiting times for heart bypass operations specifically. Instead, data have been provided for the last 12 months on the average waiting time for in-patient procedures in the cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology specialties in England and in Gloucestershire health authority. Waiting times in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Administrations.
	£15 million investment was announced in November 2001 for extra heart operations; the national health service is now working towards a 12-month maximum wait by March, which we are expecting to be achieved in most areas. The waiting and choice initiative from July will give patients who wait more than six months for their operation the choice to move to an alternative provider, which will mean a shorter wait for many.
	
		Average waiting times in cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology in Gloucestershire health authority and in England from the quarters ending March 2001 to December 2001
		
			 HA/quarter Total waiting Average(1) waiting time (months) 
		
		
			 Cardiothoracic surgery   
			 Gloucestershire HA   
			 March 2001 83 2.8 
			 June 2001 44 2.8 
			 September 2001 104 3.0 
			 December 2001 114 4.7 
			
			 England   
			 March 2001 14.555 4.3 
			 June 2001 14.230 4.3 
			 September 2001 13.967 4.4 
			 December 2001 13.744 4.3 
			
			 Cardiology   
			 Gloucestershire HA   
			 March 2001 182 2.1 
			 June 2001 125 2.1 
			 September 2001 200 2.6 
			 December 2001 198 2.4 
			
			 England   
			 March 2001 23.702 2.7 
			 June 2001 25.402 2.7 
			 September 2001 25.173 2.7 
			 December 2001 26.159 2.6 
		
	
	(1) Median

Care Homes

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the numbers of (a) private and (b) local authority homes that (i) have closed and (ii) plan to close due to the higher standards of care set out in the Care Standards Act 2000;
	(2)  what financial assistance he will make available to local authorities to enable them to ensure that their care homes meet the standards set out in the Care Standards Act 2000;
	(3)  what financial assistance he will make available to enable private care homes to meet the standards set out in the Care Standards Act 2000;
	(4)  what date private nursing homes and residential units for the elderly must meet the standards of care stated in the Care Standards Act 2000.

Jacqui Smith: There is no evidence of a direct correlation between the introduction of national minimum standards under the Care Standards Act 2000 and the reduction in numbers of care home beds. Many providers already meet or exceed the standards and will have no reason to be concerned about them.
	We do not consider it appropriate to provide direct financial assistance to care homes who do not meet the standards. However, we are providing significant additional resources for social services. Resources for social services have increased by 20.4 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, and average annual increase of 3.1 per cent. This means that local authorities have the resources they need to purchase services at realistic prices. In contracting with care homes we expect local authorities to take into account a range of provider costs such as implementing national standards. The additional resources include the £300 million that we announced on 9 October for this year and next.
	The standards for care homes for older people will apply from 1 April 2002, unless otherwise stated in any standard. However, this does not mean that homes must meet all the standards immediately. If standards were not being met in a few respects, the National Care Standards Commission would note this in its inspection report and write to the home owner giving reasonable time in which to make the changes. The national minimum standards for care homes for older people were published on 2 March 2001 and a copy placed in the Library. The standards for care homes for younger adults were approved in December 2001 and are available on the Department of Health website (www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc). The final version will be published shortly and placed in the Library.
	We are determined that the standards will be introduced in a way that will ensure that the application of the new standards does not lead to the closure of good quality homes. On 30 January I launched a package of measures to help smooth the introduction of the standards. This included statutory guidance to the Commission. In particular, the guidance says the Commission should consider whether care homes can fulfil the needs of service users without making environmental changes to meet the standards. The guidance particularly covers issues of room size, lifts, baths and shared rooms. The guidance has been welcomed by the major associations representing care homes, the Registered Nursing Homes Association, the National Care Homes Association and the Independent Health Care Association.

Care Homes

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish guidance on those health care items which should be free at the point of delivery to people in care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: All items provided to people in care homes by the national health service are free at the point of delivery.

Care Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential homes have converted to nursing care homes since January 2001.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of residential care homes that have converted to nursing homes is not available centrally.

Mental Health

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 were detained for the full 28 days without having a mental health review tribunal hearing despite having requested such a hearing within the appropriate period in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect the information required.

Fireworks

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many firework-related injuries were treated by hospitals during the Christmas and new year period.

Yvette Cooper: The latest data available show that, of 127 hospital in-patient episodes 1 in England in 2000–01 with the cause code "Discharge of Firework" 2 , seven were admitted in the December/January period. These figures exclude accident and emergency patients who were not admitted as an in-patient.
	1 A finished consultant episode is a period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. These figures do not represent the number of patients as a person may have more than one episode within the year.
	2 ICD10 Cause code W39: Discharge of Firework.

MS

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the use of Copaxone in the treatment of MS;
	(2)  how long the decision to prescribe beta interferon and Copaxone for MS sufferers has been under review; and what guidance is in place for health authorities in relation to prescribing Copaxone;
	(3)  when he expects to make a final decision on the prescription of beta interferon and Copaxone;
	(4)  if he will list health authority areas where beta interferon and Copaxone are made available to MS patients;
	(5)  what recent representations he has received from patients using Copaxone; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: In August 1999, we asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to conduct a detailed appraisal of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate (brand name Copaxone). NICE issued its guidance on 4 February 2002. NICE recommends that these products are not cost effective on the current arrangements for supply to the NHS.
	On 5 September 2001, following NICE's recommendation in its Provisional Appraisal Determination, the Department of Health commenced discussions with the manufacturers of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate about the possible provision of these therapies for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on the national health service in a manner which could be considered to be cost-effective. These discussions are complete and on Monday 4 February we announced details of an innovative scheme to make these products available on the NHS. The scheme starts on 6 May 2002. Details are contained in Health Service Circular 2002/004 which has been issued widely across the NHS.
	We do not hold information centrally on individual health authority policies on treatments for MS.
	According to our records, since 5 September (when the discussions with manufacturers commenced) we have received no written representations from patients using glatiramer acetate.

Departmental Performance Targets

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the performance against target in replying to letters from members of the public to his Department for each of the last 12 months.

Hazel Blears: Performance against service first targets is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 January 78.8 
			 February 82.2 
			 March 75.9 
			 April 79.8 
			 May 93.7 
			 June 96.2 
			 July 88.5 
			 August 84.4 
			 September 87.7 
			 October 90.9 
			 November 97.5 
			 December 98.7

Private Hospitals

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the regulatory regime for (a) private sector hospitals, (b) private sector general practitioners and (c) private sector consultants.

Jacqui Smith: Independent hospitals are currently regulated by health authorities under the Registered Homes Act 1984. Private general practitioners are not currently regulated, although those who work in the national health service as well as the independent sector will be subject to inspection by the Commission for Health Improvement.
	Consultant surgeons who are in charge of their own independent clinics are regulated by health authorities, but those who are granted practising privileges in independent hospitals but have no managerial role there, are not.
	On 1 April the national care standards commission will take over from health authorities the regulation of independent hospitals and clinics under the Care Standards Act 2000. From that date, general practitioners who work exclusively in the private sector will be brought under regulation by the national care standards commission for the first time. Private consultants with practising privileges in independent hospitals will, as before, not be required to register personally with the commission. However, the registered providers will be held responsible for the quality of treatment those consultants provide.
	The regulations and national minimum standards for the independent health care sector have been published and are available on the website www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Electronic Medical Equipment

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to introduce national (a) standards and (b) assessments for NHS staff who use electronic medical equipment in the NHS;
	(2)  what work is being carried out by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS Executive to raise the standards of NHS staff who operate electronic medical equipment within the NHS;
	(3)  what plans he has to introduce training for NHS staff in the use of electronic medical equipment in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 25 January 2002
	National health service clinicians learn to operate an appropriate range of electronic medical equipment as part of their basic professional education. The Department does not set the curricula for pre-registration and undergraduate health professional education. This is a matter for the professional regulatory bodies.
	Developing and maintaining the standards and skills of NHS staff who use electronic medical equipment is the responsibility of individual local NHS employers working in partnership with regulatory and professional bodies. However, as part of Medical Devices Agency's (MDA's) guidance and leverage programme, the MDA provide information routinely to health care professionals which assists in the training and safe use of electronic medical equipment and devices. This information is in the form of: device safety alerts, covering specific device related problems; technical notes; device bulletins; posters; and other written communications. Device bulletins in particular cover in more detail general device issues and have included training and management guidance.
	The MDA has issued advice on "Medical Devices and Equipment Management for Hospitals and Community- based Organisations" (DB 9801 January 1998). The MDA have also co-operated with professional bodies and training organisations in developing targeted training for health care workers using electronic medical devices and equipment.

Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on waiting lists of the implementation of the advice on prion transmission by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.

Yvette Cooper: The move to single use instruments for tonsil and adenoid surgery in January 2001 was part of the Department's strategy to reduce the theoretical risk of transmitting variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) through surgical instruments. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) advised that single use instruments be considered for tonsil and adenoid surgery as part of this strategy "provided patient safety would not be compromised".
	An initial shortage of single-use instruments led to the number of patients waiting for tonsil and adenoid surgery rising between January and June 2001, however the waiting list has fallen each month since June 2001. The number of patients waiting over 18 months for tonsil and adenoid surgery peaked in July 2001 at 206, but this figure had reduced to eight by November 2001.
	Following the increase in provision of single use instruments in June 2001 the Medical Devices Agency Adverse Incident Centre received reports of adverse events with their use in tonsil and adenoid surgery. This included an increase in primary and secondary bleeding that required re-hospitalisation, return to theatre and blood transfusion. In the interests of patient safety and taking account of the improvement in central sterile services in hospitals to decontaminate instruments, it was decided to advise surgeons to use reusable instruments. As a result of this action on 14 December 2001, we expect all tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy patients to be treated within the 18 month maximum in-patient waiting time guarantee.

Retirement Ages

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Hazel Blears: Regardless of grade or job title the normal age of retirement for all staff in the Department and its agencies is 60. Some staff who transferred into the Department from the national health service retained the right to retire on NHS terms at the age of 65. The Department is currently involved in taking forward a Cabinet Office led initiative called "Winning The Generation Game" looking at flexible retirement options.

Prostate Surgery

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Wyre Forest constituency are waiting for non-urgent prostate surgery; and how long they can expect to wait.

Yvette Cooper: I am advised that there are currently 54 Wyre Forest residents waiting for non-urgent prostate surgery, the majority of which will be treated within 12 months.
	I am further advised by the trust that in cases where the clinical need is judged the greatest, the waiting time will be far shorter. The trust expects that all patients waiting for non-urgent prostate operations will be treated within 15 months, and urgent cases of prostate cancer patients will be treated within two weeks of diagnosis.
	Figures for Wyre Forest residents are in line with non- urgent prostate surgery waiting times in Worcestershire as a whole.

Care Bed Losses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing home and residential care beds have been lost in the last three years by region; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The numbers of care homes and beds at 31 March each year by national health service region are shown in the tables.
	
		Table 1: Number of residential and nursing care homes by NHS region, England, 1999 to 2001—at 31 March -- Rounded numbers
		
			 NHS region 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			  Residential care homes 
			 Eastern 2,080 2,070 2,040 
			 London 2,320 2,310 2,330 
			 North West 3,580 3,700 3,590 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 2,990 3,040 2,950 
			 South East 5,200 5,210 4,950 
			 South West 3,870 3,710 3,610 
			 Trent 2,270 2,310 2,230 
			 West Midlands 2,490 2,420 2,390 
			 Total 24,800 24,770 24,080 
			 
			 Nursing care homes(2)
			 Eastern 460 440 420 
			 London 550 550 550 
			 North West 970 930 880 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 830 8,010 780 
			 South East 1,070 1,040 990 
			 South West 880 840 810 
			 Trent 730 690 670 
			 West Midlands 610 600 580 
			 Total 6,110 5,880 5,680 
		
	
	(2) Private nursing homes, hospitals and clinics
	Source:
	Department of Health's annual return
	
		Table 2: Number of residential and nursing care beds by NHS region, England, 1999 to 2001—at 31 March -- Rounded numbers
		
			 NHS region 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			  Residential care beds 
			 Eastern 34,190 35,070 35,380 
			 London 29,530 30,140 29,340 
			 North West 50,340 50,460 49,760 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 45,570 45,950 45,340 
			 South East 69,290 69,070 67,280 
			 South West 46,240 45,760 44,790 
			 Trent 35,550 36,960 37,200 
			 West Midlands 33,330 32,500 32,090 
			 Total 344,040 345,910 341,180 
			 
			 Nursing care beds
			 Eastern 15,590 15,140 14,770 
			 London 18,260 18,290 18,080 
			 North West 35,190 33,470 31,500 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 29,620 27,620 26,950 
			 South East 33,280 32,360 31,340 
			 South West 25,930 24,660 24,070 
			 Trent 22,780 21,380 20,080 
			 West Midlands 21,510 20,420 20,040 
			 Total 202,150 193,330 186,830 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health's annual return

Thrombolytic Drugs

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the date when paramedics will commence administering thrombolytic drugs to heart attack patients in the Wyre Forest constituency before their journey to hospital in Worcester.

Yvette Cooper: The NHS Plan contained a commitment to improve 'call-to-needle' times for administering thrombolytic drugs for treating heart attack victims.
	I am advised that the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust are already meeting targets set for ambulance response times.
	I understand that the trust, in collaboration with Herefordshire and Worcestershire health authorities, Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, have initiated procedures laid down in the NHS Plan, published in July 2000, for a three year programme to train and equip ambulance paramedics to provide thrombolysis safely for appropriate patients.
	I am advised that paramedics at Hertfordshire and Worcestershire Ambulance Service will commence administering thrombolytic drugs to heart attack patients in the Wyre Forest constituency in May this year. This is part of an 18 month programme covering all 14 ambulance stations in the area.

Television Sets

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) integrated digital and (b) analogue television sets have been bought by his Department in each of the last 24 months; and if he will publish the guidance given to officials making decisions on television purchases.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not record centrally or separately the numbers of televisions, integrated digital or analogue, that it purchases for use within the Department. Specific guidance on the purchase of televisions is not published or disseminated to officials, but buyers are required to follow normal departmental procurement guidance and procedures whenever purchasing such goods.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is as shown.
	Losses and thefts 1997–98
	Item(s)
	NEC Vodaphone mobile phone
	NEC P3 mobile phone
	Nokia 101 mobile phone
	Telephone answering machine
	Ericsson Hotline mobile phone
	Desktop calculator
	Nokia mobile phone
	MS mouse
	Nokia mobile phone
	Microsoft mouse
	Losses and thefts 1998–99
	Item(s)
	Nokia mobile phone
	Motorola D460 mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 232 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 1611 mobile phone
	Motorola d460 mobile phone
	Nokia 2110 mobile phone
	Nokia 3110 mobile phone and charger
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Losses and thefts 1999–2000
	Item(s)
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Battery charger for Nokia 1611 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 2110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 8110 mobile phone
	Charger for a Nokia phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Charger for a Nokia phone
	Charger for a Nokia phone
	Mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	16Mb DIMM (computer memory chip)
	Mobile phone
	Mobile phone
	Losses and thefts 2000–01
	Item(s)
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia NHE 4NX mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Ericsson A1018s mobile phone
	Nokia 5210 mobile phone
	Nokia 8110 mobile phon
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 8210 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone and charger
	Vodaphone mobile phone
	Nokia 8210 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Ericsson GA628 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Losses and thefts 2001–02
	Item(s)
	Ericsson GA318 mobile phone
	Siemens C351 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Siemens C351 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Siemens C351 mobile phone, battery and charger
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5100 mobile phone
	Nokia 6210 mobile phone
	Nokia mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone
	Siemens C35 mobile phone
	Siemens C35i mobile phone
	Nokia 5110 mobile phone.

Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the publications issued by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Hazel Blears: The majority of departmental publications issued since 1997 are listed on two departmental databases available on the internet. These are Circulars on the internet (COIN) (www.doh.gov.uk/publications/ coinh.html) and Publications on the internet (POINT) (www.doh.gov.uk/publications/pointh.html).
	This information on (a) cost, (b) circulation and (c) purpose of each is not collected centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

MMR Vaccine

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children received the measles vaccine in (a) each county or health authority and (b) England in each of the five years before the introduction of the MMR vaccine; and what proportion those who had received the vaccine represented of the total number of children under five years of age.

Yvette Cooper: Immunisation coverage for the years 1983 to 1988 was measured at two years of age. A table of the available information has been placed in the Library. This shows the proportion of under-twos to have received the vaccine.

MMR Vaccine

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance his Department has given to nursery schools and other providers of early years education and child care about accepting children who (a) have and (b) have not had the MMR vaccine.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not given guidance to nursery schools and other providers of early years education and child care about accepting children who have or have not had MMR vaccine.

Migraine

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Department has given to (a) research into migraine and (b) care for severe migraine sufferers in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is not currently funding any research into migraine, and has not funded any research in the past five years. The MRC, however, always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance.
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. The Health Technology Assessment Programme is currently supporting a project on "Acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care: a pragmatic, randomised trial" at a total cost of £161,532. This project started in October 1998 and is due to be completed late in 2002.
	Figures on how much is spent by the national health service to treat and care for patients with particular conditions such as migraine are not collected centrally.

Funding (Wigan and Bolton Health Authority)

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) increases in funding have been given to the Wigan and Bolton health authority and (b) grants for specific projects have been given to the Wigan Leigh NHS Hospital Trust since May 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Wigan and Bolton health authority received the following increases in allocations since May 1997:
	
		
			  £000 Percentage 
		
		
			 1997–98 11,928 4.62 
			 1998–99 14,021 5.41 
			 1999–2000 24,996 7.18 
			 2000–01 35,415 9.46 
			 2001–02 37,252 9.10 
			 2002–03 45,361 10.17 
		
	
	The former 1 Wigan and Leigh Health Services National Health Service Trust received the following conditional capital allocations during this period:
	1997–98: £1,563,000: Final element of the Phase 3 refurbishment scheme;
	1998–99: £665,000: Mental Health Intensive Care Unit;
	1999–2000: £480,000 2 : Start of Phase 4 service rationalisation;
	Between 1999–2000 and 2000–01: £1,950,000 in respect of modernisation, waiting list moneys as well as "action on funds"; and
	2001–02: £2,700,000 for accident and emergency reprovision together with £961,000 for a new mortuary.
	1 The Wigan and Leigh Health Services NHS Trust merged with the Wrightington Hospital NHS Trust on 1 April 2001 to form the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust. Conditional capital allocations to the Wrightington hospital have not been included in this response.
	2 The total value of this scheme is £22,000,000 and is due to be completed in 2004–05.

Primary Care Trusts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was for setting up primary care trusts within the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Approximately £63.1 million of central funding has been made available to support the establishment of primary care trusts.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 6.6 
			 2000–01 27.0 
			 2001–02 29.5

Maternity Services

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the £100 million for maternity services has been allocated; and whether it has been spent in the way originally intended.

Yvette Cooper: The £100 million was allocated on the basis of individual bids submitted by maternity units after consultation with local staff and users. The bids were prioritised and allocations recommended by regional offices to target hospitals which were in greatest need. A central panel reviewed the bids to ensure national consistency.
	Over 200 units across the country received a share of this investment. Regional offices are monitoring the expenditure and progress reports will be provided. Plans are well under way for the refurbishment work, and all projects are due to be completed by the end of March 2003.

Mixed Sex Wards

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the use of mixed sex wards in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement about the scale of use of such wards.

Hazel Blears: Guidance on maintaining privacy and dignity was first issued to the service in 1997 and since then the national health service has been working towards a clear target to eliminate mixed sex accommodation in 95 per cent. of national health service trusts by December 2002.
	Ongoing monitoring of the progress of the project continues and indicates that progress towards the targets is being maintained and work is continuing to ensure that this remains so.
	Additional professional and technical support is being made available to those who are finding meeting the targets particularly challenging.
	It is not possible to provide information at the level of the individual ward. The majority of hospital wards are usually subdivided into bays which are designated as male or female. Depending on the case mix and local need, the exact proportion of male to female bays will vary.

Dentistry

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the national average has been in the last five years of the numbers of registrations to NHS dental practices.

Hazel Blears: The average number of General Dental Service (GDS) registrations in England during the years 1996–97 to 2000–01 is shown in the table.
	Registration numbers were reduced by the shortening of the registration period for new registrations from September 1996. For adults the period fell from 24 to 15 months. Children's registrations used to lapse at the end of the following calendar year; they now last for 24 months. This affected registration numbers between December 1997 and August 1998. Data for 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 are not comparable with later years.
	Patients who are not registered with a dentist or choose not to register, can obtain treatment on an occasional basis.
	
		General Dental Service: Average registration list sizes from 1996–97 to 2000–01, England
		
			  Adults Children Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 19,582,630 6,897,598 26,480,228 
			 1997–98 19,082,300 7,036,038 26,118,339 
			 1998–99 16,945,524 6,782,506 23,728,030 
			 1999–2000 16,673,848 6,829,233 23,503,081 
			 2000–01 16,818,256 6,846,298 23,664,553

Dentistry

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future resources that will be made available to NHS dentists.

Hazel Blears: An estimated £1.2 billion will be spent on the general dental service and in excess of £50 million revenue will be invested in personal dental service pilot schemes in the current financial year. In addition local health authorities invest their own resources in the community dental services (information on the levels of this investment is not held centrally). These levels of expenditure are anticipated to continue in the next financial year.

Dentistry

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people are registered with an NHS dentist in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, North, (b) Staffordshire, (c) Stoke-on-Trent and (d) the United Kingdom.

Hazel Blears: The number of people registered with General Dental Services (GDS) dentists as a percentage of the population in North and South Staffordshire health authority areas at 31 December 2001 was 43 per cent. and 46 per cent. respectively. The combined North and South Staffordshire HA registration rate at 31 December 2001 was 44 per cent. The registration rate in the United Kingdom was 48 per cent.
	Patients who are not registered with a GDS dentist, or choose not to, can attend occasionally.
	The numbers of dental registrations for Stoke-on-Trent, North, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are not available centrally.

Drug Abuse

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential places were available for the treatment of drug addicts in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Statistics are not held centrally for the years requested. However, the Department conducted a survey in 2001 to establish the number of residential places across England for those requiring treatment for substance misuse problems, including drugs and alcohol. The results of this indicate that there are approximately a total of 3,100 residential places covering both adults and young people available within this sector.

Commission on Health Improvement

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to the Commission on Health Improvement on taking evidence from local trade union representatives when they are investigating local health facilities; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 25 February 2002
	We have given no guidance to the independent Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) on those bodies or individuals from whom it should take evidence when investigating local health facilities.
	However, when carrying out a local review, CHI spends two days meeting with local people and non-statutory organisation with an interest in the national health service trust concerned. Stakeholders may include members of the public, voluntary and non-profit organisations, staff associations and trade union representatives.

Health Action Zones

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure in each of the past three years (a) on each health action zone and (b) envisaged for 2002–03.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The table lists expenditure for each of the 26 health action zones in the three years from 1999, and that envisaged for 2002–03, some £237 million. In addition, health authorities in HAZ areas have received targeted funding or health inequalities adjustment funding of £305 million in the same period.
	
		HAZ expenditure 1999–2000 to 2002–03 -- £000
		
			 HAZ 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Planned 2002–03 Grand total 
		
		
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 4,356 3,818 3,808 3,871 15,853 
			 East London 3,962 3,152 3,216 3,362 13,692 
			 Plymouth 1,545 1,401 1,438 1,301 5,685 
			 Luton 960 1,580 1,587 1,039 5,166 
			 Sandwell 1,617 1,249 1,535 1,634 6,035 
			 South Yorkshire Coalfields 3,821 3,051 3,058 3,188 13,118 
			 Manchester, Salford and Trafford 4,853 4,080 4,484 4,643 18,060 
			 Bradford 2,740 2,540 2,538 2,653 10,471 
			 Tyne and Wear 6,170 4,564 4,612 4,898 20,244 
			 Northumberland 1,771 1,524 1,413 1,299 6,007 
			 North Cumbria 1,670 1,259 1,351 1,363 5,643 
			 1 wave total 33,465 28,218 29,040 29,251 119,974 
			   
			 Tees 1,958 2,834 2,932 2,831 19,555 
			 Wakefield 978 1,206 1,296 1,264 4,744 
			 Leeds 2,040 2,721 2,766 2,726 10,253 
			 Hull and East Riding 1,668 2,377 2,415 2,377 8,837 
			 Merseyside 4,221 5,794 5,773 5,859 21,647 
			 Bury and Rochdale 1,152 1,558 1,558 1,545 5,813 
			 Nottingham 1,768 2,385 2,370 2,355 8,878 
			 Sheffield 1,736 2,222 2,041 2,048 8,047 
			 Leicester City 925 1,361 1,467 1,391 5,144 
			 Wolverhampton 868 1,247 1,343 1,280 4,738 
			 Walsall 845 1,248 1,286 1,245 4,624 
			 North Staffordshire 1,251 1,581 1,639 1,544 6,015 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 1,369 1,688 1,906 1,902 6,865 
			 Camden and Islington 1,453 1,893 1,904 1,878 7,128 
			 Brent 793 1,031 1,039 982 3,845 
			 2 wave total 23,025 31,146 31,735 31,227 117,133 
			 Grand total 56,490 59,364 60,775 60,478 237,107 
		
	
	Note:
	The totals indicated in the table include Smoking Cessation, Drugs Prevention and Innovations Fund Moneys as well as core Programme and Development funding. (There has been no Drugs Prevention funding allocated for 2002–03).

Health Authority Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list health authorities by expenditure per weighted head in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 450W.

HIV

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement of the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 732, what his policy is on recruitment of HIV-positive nurses to the NHS; and how many such nurses have been recruited.

Yvette Cooper: The national health service does not target developing countries for recruitment of nurses and no recruitment activity is planned in countries of sub-Saharan Africa, which have been hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. However, many developing countries have invited the UK to offer job opportunities to health care professionals, particularly to enhance their clinical practice and to benefit from further education and training in the NHS.
	While the safety of patients is of paramount importance, it should be recognised that the procedures involved in most nursing duties do not pose a risk of HIV infection to patients, provided normal infection control precautions are observed. There have been no reported cases of HIV transmission from infected health care workers to patients in the UK.
	Existing guidelines place health care workers who are or may be HIV infected under ethical and legal duties to protect the health and safety of their patients by seeking counselling and HIV testing if they believe they have been at risk of infection. If infected, they are required to seek and follow confidential occupational health advice about the need to modify or limit their working practices.
	Information on the numbers of HIV infected nurses working in the NHS is not held centrally.

HIV

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on HIV in the west midlands; and what measures are being taken to combat cases in Coventry.

Yvette Cooper: The west midlands regional surveillance system of HIV provides an accurate picture of the epidemiology of HIV infection in the west midlands in order to ensure appropriate targeting of preventative interventions and to monitor progress in tackling the epidemic.
	I am advised that Coventry health authority has highly proactive educational, preventive and support programmes that work with individuals and their families and various target groups. The health authority works closely with national health service providers as well as the Terrence Higgins Trust and has a continuous programme of needs assessment in order to tailor the services to the changing epidemiology. Coventry also has a well established needle and syringe exchange scheme.
	In terms of funding, in 2001–02, the west midlands received £7.7 million for HIV treatment and care and £4.3 million for HIV prevention. During the same period, Coventry health authority received £481,000 for HIV treatment and £268,000 for HIV prevention.

Hospital Virus Outbreak

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to contain the outbreak of the virus at the Victoria Infirmary and the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Hazel Blears: This is a matter for the Scottish Executive. However, infection control is an issue that we take seriously and we are determined to ensure that there are universally robust infection control arrangements in place. This should ensure that all patients receive the level and quality of care they expect. National standards for infection control have been developed to be delivered in all national health service trusts in England. These are independently reviewed and monitored by both the Audit Commission and the Commission for Health Improvement.

NHS Operations (Europe)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who pays the fares of patients travelling to Europe for NHS operations.

John Hutton: Regulations have now come into force to amend the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 1988 to permit NHS bodies to pay for the travel of NHS patients going overseas for treatment funded by the NHS. Where patients travel abroad for treatment the NHS meets the cost of the patient's travel from the point at which they begin their international journey (the airport, ferry port or international train station) to the foreign provider. Reimbursement of travel expenses between the patient's home to the airport, ferry port or international train station are governed by the same rules that apply to payment of travelling expenses to hospitals in England. This change ensures that patients treated overseas under the auspices of the NHS are not disadvantaged by having to travel further for that treatment.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 1046W, what the area in square feet of the property is that has been empty since July 2000.

Hazel Blears: The Glenthorne Youth Treatment Centre in Birmingham comprises of 6,954 m 2 of building space and 3.2 hectares of open ground.

NHS Operations (Private Sector)

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the value for money provided by private sector contracts to perform NHS operations.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 686W.

Unmarried Couples (Adoption)

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding adoption by unmarried couples.

Jacqui Smith: Since the introduction of the Adoption and Children Bill on 19 October 2001, the Department has received representations regarding adoption by unmarried couples from BAAF Adoption and Fostering, three hon. Members and one private individual.

Road Traffic Incidents

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of visits to accident and emergency departments in the last 12 months for which figures are available were by people injured in a road traffic accident, broken down by health authority; and what estimate he has made of the saving to the NHS which an (a) 5 per cent. (b) 10 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent. reduction in road traffic injury represents.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not collect figures relating to accident and emergency department (A&E) attendances as a result of road traffic accidents. However, the number of in-patient admissions for traffic accidents via A&E departments are shown in the table.
	The Department is able to recover the cost of treating those road traffic accident victims who go on to receive personal injury compensation. In 2000–01, hospitals in England recovered £67,001,618.
	
		Hospital episode statistics: Finished consultant episodes (FCE(3)s) where the cause code is ICD10 codes V01-V89, by health authority of treatment and month of admission, NHS hospital trusts in England, 2000–01
		
			 Code/Health authority Number 
		
		
			 QA2 Hillingdon HA 186 
			 QA3 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA 311 
			 QA4 Enfield and Haringey HA 104 
			 QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA 364 
			 QA6 Bedfordshire HA 344 
			 QA7 Berkshire HA 589 
			 QA8 Buckinghamshire HA 566 
			 QAA Bexley and Greenwich HA 278 
			 QAC Bromley Ha 150 
			 QAD Croydon Ha 187 
			 QAE East Kent HA 537 
			 QAF West Kent Ha 1,086 
			 QAG Kingston and Richmond HA 202 
			 QAH Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA 641 
			 QAJ Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA 462 
			 QAL West Surrey HA 733 
			 QAM East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA 645 
			 QAN West Sussex Ha 895 
			 QAP Barking and Havering HA 226 
			 QAQ Barnet Ha 275 
			 QAR Brent and Harrow HA 24 
			 QAT Camden and Islington HA 490 
			 QAV Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA 278 
			 QAW East London and The City HA 444 
			 QAX North Essex HA 855 
			 QAY South Essex HA 493 
			 QC1 South Lancashire HA 80 
			 QC2 Liverpool HA 506 
			 QC3 Manchester HA 422 
			 QC4 Morecambe Bay HA 414 
			 QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley HA 388 
			 QC6 Salford and Trafford HA 288 
			 QC7 Sefton HA 350 
			 QC8 Stockport HA 223 
			 QC9 West Pennine HA 494 
			 QCC Northamptonshire HA 425 
			 QCE Oxfordshire HA 625 
			 QCF Suffolk HA 634 
			 QCG Barnsley HA 283 
			 QCH North Derbyshire HA 235 
			 QCJ South Derbyshire HA 446 
			 QCK Doncaster HA 287 
			 QCL Leicestershire HA 517 
			 QCM Lincolnshire HA 890 
			 QCN North Nottinghamshire HA 610 
			 QCP Nottingham Ha 852 
			 QCQ Rotherham HA 257 
			 QCR Sheffield HA 317 
			 QCT Bury and Rochdale HA 247 
			 QCV North Cheshire Ha 329 
			 QCW South cheshire Ha 723 
			 QCX East Lancashire HA 416 
			 QCY North West Lancashire HA 493 
			 QD1 North and Mid Hampshire HA 301 
			 QD2 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA 594 
			 QD3 Southampton and South West Hampshire HA 282 
			 QD4 Isle of Wight HA 63 
			 QD5 Somerset HA 489 
			 QD6 South and West Devon HA 560 
			 QD7 Wiltshire HA 548 
			 QD8 Avon Ha 1,210 
			 QD9 Birmingham Ha 1,347 
			 QDA Wigan and Bolton HA 485 
			 QDC Wirral HA 182 
			 QDD Bradford HA 414 
			 QDE County Durham HA 363 
			 QDF East Riding HA 472 
			 QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside HA 254 
			 QDH Leeds HA 741 
			 QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside HA 445 
			 QDK North Cumbria HA 240 
			 QDL South Humber HA 460 
			 QDM Northumberland HA 378 
			 QDN Sunderland HA 286 
			 QDP Tees HA 647 
			 QDQ Wakefield HA 371 
			 QDR North Yorkshire HA 808 
			 QDT Calderdale and Kirklees HA 404 
			 QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HA 417 
			 QDW Dorset HA 627 
			 QDX North and East Devon HA 493 
			 QDY Gloucestershire HA 593 
			 QEA Coventry HA 393 
			 QEC Dudley HA 309 
			 QED Herefordshire HA 250 
			 QEE Sandwell HA 148 
			 QEF Shropshire HA 554 
			 QEH North Staffordshire HA 236 
			 QEJ South Staffordshire HA 319 
			 QEK Walsall HA 206 
			 QEL Warwickshire HA 406 
			 QEM Wolverhampton HA 185 
			 QEN Worcestershire HA 435 
			 QEP East and North Hertfordshire HA 318 
			 QEQ West Hertfordshire HA 254 
			 QER Cambridge HA 1,046 
			 QET Norfolk HA 981 
			  
			 Total 43,630 
		
	
	(3) An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.
	Notes:
	1. The cause code is a supplementary code which indicates the nature of the condition.
	2. Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

NHS Patients (Overseas Treatment)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he uses to decide on whether to withhold information on the grounds of commercial confidentiality in relation to contracts abroad with foreign companies.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish cost details for those NHS patients who have received treatment in continental hospitals; and why this information was not published before treatment was given.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on (a) commercial confidentiality and (b) public accountability in contracts made for patients to be treated abroad.

John Hutton: We will not publish details about the cost to the national health service of individual operations carried out on NHS patients treated at particular hospitals in Europe as part of the pilot scheme.
	It would not be possible to publish this information without breaching commercial confidentiality. It would also undermine the negotiating position of the NHS with existing and potential healthcare providers.
	This is consistent with the approach to release of information set out in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	Information about overall expenditure on treatment for patients under the pilot scheme will be published in due course.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) facilities and (b) treatments are available in the NHS for sufferers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Jacqui Smith: Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy can take advantage of the usual primary care/secondary and tertiary services available. Children form a considerable part of the caseload for children's community nursing services and many receive services from children's hospices.
	Clinical and laboratory services for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are available through existing networks of regional genetics centres. In April 2001 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a £30 million investment aimed at improving NHS genetics services. This should help patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other genetic diseases.
	There is no specific treatment for any of the forms of muscular dystrophy. Physical therapy and corrective orthopaedic surgery may be needed to improve the quality of life in some cases.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research his Department is funding into Duchenne muscular dystrophy;
	(2)  what support he will give to expanding research into finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Jacqui Smith: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. In 2000–01 the MRC spent £920,000 on research into Muscular Dystrophy. This included a number of projects and fellowships looking specifically at Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and a major programme of work on the molecular analysis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the MRC Functional Genetics unit in Oxford. This work is at a basic level and it is hoped that such research will lead to treatments in the future.
	The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. The Department provides support to NHS trusts to allow work funded by others such as the Research Councils and charities to be conducted within the NHS. Details of ongoing and recently completed research projects funded by, or of interest to, the NHS are available on the National Research Register which is available on the internet at http://www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.
	The Department has provided support over the last decade to the umbrella charity "The Genetic Interest Group", of which the Duchenne Family Support Group is a member organisation. This funding has been targeted to a range of initiatives intended to raise awareness of all inherited diseases.

Pharmacists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of pharmacists are employed at grades (a) D and (b) E level in (i) hospital pharmacies and (ii) PCG/PCT pharmacies.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Percentage of Grade D and E pharmacists employed at trusts
		
			 Grade Whole time equivalent Headcount 
		
		
			 D 32 32 
			 E 17 16 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The above information is for a sample of NHS trusts. It shows what percentage grade D and E make up of the total number of pharmacists.
	2. The sample of PCT we have available is too limited to provide meaningful data on this subject.
	3. We do not hold information on PCGs.
	(4.) NHS Earnings Survey 2000. The results are based on a survey at August 2000 covering almost 500 thousand staff, (about 50 per cent. of NHS trusts and health authorities) with pay information taken directly from payroll records.
	Source: Department of Health: 2000 Earnings Survey.

Pharmacists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the vacancy rates for hospital pharmacists in each hospital trust in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Pharmacists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote an extended role for pharmacists in performing medication review.

Hazel Blears: The NHS Plan set a target for all primary care trusts to have schemes in place so that people get more help from pharmacists in using their medicines by 2004. We have set up a collaborative medicines management programme, hosted by the National Prescribing Centre. The first wave of 26 pilot sites was announced last July and the second wave of 40 sites was announced on 12 February. We are also supporting a trial of structured services based exclusively in community pharmacies for patients with coronary heart disease. These initiatives build on and complement other local initiatives under which pharmacists are involved in reviewing patients' medication.

Pharmacists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to minimise the handling charge imposed by pharmacists dealing with monitored dosage systems.

Hazel Blears: Under their national health service terms of service, pharmacies are not required to provide monitored dosage systems. Any charges for the supply of monitored dosage systems are therefore a commercial matter.

Hospital Readmissions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest available readmission rates to hospitals within two months are for (a) all patients in England and Wales and (b) each hospital trust in England and Wales; and if he will break down the readmitted patients by age.

Jacqui Smith: We do not have information on readmission rates within two months.
	Information for England showing emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of last previous discharge from hospital by trust and health authority was published on Wednesday 20 February. This information will be placed in the Library and can be found on www.doh.gov.uk/nhsperformanceindicators/index.htm

Hospital Readmissions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the type of home of over 65-year-old patients readmitted to hospitals within two months of discharge, broken down by (a) residential/ nursing home and (b) private home with domiciliary care.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not available currently.

MRSA

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-fatal cases of the MRSA superbug have been reported in each hospital trust in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The data requested are not held centrally. Information about bacteraemias blood stream infections due to MRSA has been collected from all acute trusts as the first stage of a new comprehensive and compulsory surveillance system since 1 April 2001. Early data from this surveillance was published in the 'Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Report on 8 February 2002', copies of which are available in the Library.

MRSA

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inpatient deaths have been attributed to MRSA in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: There are no centrally held statistics on deaths caused by health care associated infections, including Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
	MRSA infection can take many forms, from trivial skin infection to pneumonia or septicaemia. Often the causative micro-organism is not specified on the death certificate. MRSA does not have a distinct code within the revision of the international classification of diseases used for encoding death registration data at the Office for National Statistics.

Leonard Cheshire Organisation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the costs of mandatory care staff training required under the National Care Standards Regulations for the Leonard Cheshire Organisation;
	(2)  what discussions he has had at ministerial level with representatives of the Leonard Cheshire Organisation regarding capital costs involved with improving their properties to meet national care standards;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the conversion costs of residential rooms operated by the Leonard Cheshire Organisation to comply with new national care standards.

Jacqui Smith: I have met with representatives of the Leonard Cheshire Organisation, as have departmental officials, to discuss a range of issues including the costs associated with complying with the new national minimum standards.

Pharmacies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those medicines which are now available via pharmacy sale rather than on a doctor prescription only basis; and what PCT areas (a) offer this service and (b) have plans to.

Hazel Blears: There are nearly 5,000 medicines which can be sold or supplied by a pharmacy without a prescription. We are aware of a small number of primary care trust areas where some medicines which do not require a prescription are supplied on the national health service, through a pharmacy, without patients needing to see their general practitioner. A larger number of PCT areas are using patient group directions to make a limited range of prescription only medicines available through pharmacies. However, as there are local initiatives, no definitive list of such schemes, nor of PCTs which plan to establish such schemes, is held centrally.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held with operators of simple hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities in the community offering treatment for MS sufferers regarding the new requirements under the Care Standards Act 2000.

Jacqui Smith: There have been exchanges of correspondence on the new requirements between the Department and the headquarters of the leading charitable provider of hyperbaric oxygen therapy since November 2000. In July last year the proposed regulations and national minimum standards for independent health care providers were published for consultation. This exercise prompted a good response and the proposed standards were revised in light of the comments made. Consequently, the requirements for hyperbaric facilities for therapeutic use are considerably fewer than for those used to treat patients with acute medical conditions, and proportionate to their simpler operation.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the likely compliance cost of the Care Standards to operators of simple hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities in the community providing treatment to MS sufferers.

Jacqui Smith: The standards for hyperbaric facilities for therapeutic use are considerably fewer than for those used to treat patients with acute medical conditions, and proportionate to their simpler operation. Consequently, we expect the costs of compliance to be minimal.

Cancelled Operations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many operations were cancelled in each region in each of the last three years, broken down into those cancelled (a) once, (b) twice and (c) three times or more before treatment was obtained; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of total operations carried out;
	(2)  if he will give a breakdown of reasons for cancelled operations in the last year in each health authority region that are defined as non-clinical cancellations.

John Hutton: Data are not collected on the number of times operations are cancelled or on the non-clinical reasons for cancelling operations.
	The National Health Service Modernisation Agency is working with a number of trusts in order to optimise theatre utilisation and reduce cancelled operations. The pilot sites involved in the project are identifying good practice arrangements to avoid cancellation of operations. The lessons learned are being shared with the rest of the NHS.
	The nine pilot sites are showing good progress. Six out of nine pilots achieved the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee in December 2001, with the other three achieving the guarantee for over 90 per cent. of patients.

Cancelled Operations

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to reduce the number of cancelled operations; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The NHS Plan sets out our intentions for improving the national health service. From April 2002, if an operation is cancelled on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice.
	The NHS Modernisation Agency is looking at optimising theatre utilisation and reducing cancelled operations. The lessons learned are being shared with the rest of the NHS.
	The nine pilot sites involved in this work are showing good progress. Six out of nine pilots achieved the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee in December 2001, with the other three achieving the guarantee for over 90 per cent. of patients.

GPs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in calculating the ratio of GPs to local populations for qualification to the golden hello scheme, at what dates the relevant figures for GPs and patients in Worthing were taken.

John Hutton: In 2001–02, all newly appointed general practitioners receive a golden hello payment of up to £5,000. If the GP is appointed in an under-doctored primary care group/trust, the GP will receive a further payment of up to £5,000.
	The GP and patient figures used to determine qualification for golden hello payments for 2001–02 are as follows:
	GPs are the estimated whole time equivalent unrestricted principals and equivalents taken from the GP census of September 2000.
	PCG/T population data are the GP relevant PCG/T populations taken from the GP registrations system in April 2000. These figures have been reconciled to ONS projections of health authority populations to adjust for list inflation.
	PCG/Ts have then been ranked by whole time equivalent UPEs per 100,000 weighted population and the bottom 50 per cent. qualify for the additional payment.

NHS Chief Executives

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those chief executives of hospital trusts awarded a zero star rating who remain in post; and on what criteria they were judged to have made progress.

John Hutton: Eight of the 12 chief executives awarded a zero star rating remain in post.
	Stewart Welling: Brighton Healthcare National Health Service Trust
	Jan Filochowski: The Medway NHS Trust
	Fiona Wise (interim): Stoke Mandeville NHS Trust
	John De Braux: Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust
	David Highton: Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust
	Hugh Ross: United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust
	David Loughton: University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
	Each of the zero star rated trusts was required to provide an action plan setting out how performance improvement was to be delivered; each action plan was assessed by the Department together with progress made by the trust since the publication of the ratings. Where appropriate the Department additionally used the progress reports provided by the Commission for Health Improvement.

Elderly People (Care Costs)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what account is taken of the type of property tenure when calculating care costs for the elderly;
	(2)  whether tenants of leasehold properties are treated differently from residents of freehold properties for the purposes of calculating care costs for the elderly.

Jacqui Smith: In the statutory charging system for residential care the value of a property is generally taken into account when assessing a person's ability to contribute to the cost of their care. Each council will need to establish the amount a property is worth. This is done by referring each case to the district valuer or a professional valuer who will give them the current market price. The value of a property can depend on whether it is freehold or leasehold. Other than this, the tenants of leasehold properties and residents of freehold properties are treated identically when they are financially assessed for residential accommodation.

A and E Waiting Times

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to reduce waiting times in hospital accident and emergency departments.

Hazel Blears: The NHS Plan set a target to reduce waiting times in accident and emergency departments to a maximum of four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge by 2004.
	The national health service is on track to meet the NHS Plan target with 77 per cent. of all A&E attenders currently spending four hours or less in A&E. And in nearly a third of trusts, at least 90 per cent. of people attending A&E are discharged or admitted within four hours.
	The Government launched the Reforming Emergency Care Strategy last October, supported by investment of £118 million. This is helping hospitals around the country tackle waiting times in accident and emergency departments and meet the NHS Plan target.

Residential Care (Elderly)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS beds in the north-west of England that are occupied by elderly people who should be in residential care.

Jacqui Smith: In the north-west region, in September 2001, 259 hospital beds were occupied by patients who were awaiting social services funding or waiting for placements in residential care homes. This is the latest information available. It is based on returns from 15 of the 16 health authorities in the region.

National Care Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of additional nursing staff required to comply with the National Care Standards in the (a) voluntary, (b) local authority and (c) NHS sectors.

Jacqui Smith: Guidance to assess the required number of nursing staff is currently being developed.
	In the longer term work force confederations will work with the voluntary and local authority sectors to assess the impact of the guidance on local plans.

Angiograms

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting time for angiograms.

Alan Milburn: Last November I announced funding of £80 million to provide new angiography equipment at 37 hospitals and new laboratory facilities for angiography at 22 hospitals. This first wave of funding will enable the national health service to carry out an extra 14,000 angiograms each year, and so reduce waiting times.

Mental Health Services

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving mental health services.

Jacqui Smith: The targets set in the Mental Health National Service Framework (NSF) for April 2001 were all achieved on time. These included 170 assertive outreach teams; almost 500 additional secure beds; over 320 additional 24 hour staffed care beds; access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for all those with complex mental health problems; investment to improve the physical environments in psychiatric wards; and guidance has been issued to ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of mental health patients.
	All other targets set in the NSF and the NHS Plan are all on target to be met.

Mental Health Services

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of assertive outreach teams in reducing admissions to mental hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: It is not possible to forecast with precision what the impact on hospital admissions will be once assertive outreach services are provided to all those people who need them. Research to date indicates that significant reductions in admissions can be achieved, and further research on the matter has been commissioned.

Mental Health Services

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on mental health provision in London.

Jacqui Smith: Mental health services face many challenges in London due to the needs of the population and the complex structure of services. However, good progress is being made in many areas of the implementation of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health Services in London.
	Key achievements arising from the NSF Implementation and the London Mental Health Strategy—"A Strategy for Action (2000)" include integration of health and social care and the involvement of users/survivors and carers. A new London group has been established to develop the forensic mental health services plan for London. London's 'Invest to Save' project involving social and health care agencies and the police and probation service is testing information-sharing protocols. Virtuall continues to provide resources to support agencies to deliver better mental health for Londoners and has been nominated for a modernisation award. Pilot projects to develop the leadership role of local authorities in improving mental well-being have been established. Also additional capital of £1.6 million was made available in 2001–02 to improve acute adult mental health in-patient services.
	It is recognised that mental health services need to improve their ability to meet the needs of black and minority ethnic groups. Consultation and capacity building is happening across London to support this.

Care Home Places

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in care homes there were in Leicestershire in (a) 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: In 1997, there were 8,423 residential and nursing care beds in Leicestershire. By 2001, there were 8,263.

Care Home Places

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of care home places in south-east England.

Jacqui Smith: Since 1997 the number of residential beds in London and the south-east has decreased by 5 per cent. from 101,960 to 96,620. In the same period the number of nursing care beds has increased by 5 per cent., from 47,080 to 49,420.
	Altogether, since 1997, the total number of care beds in London and the south-east has decreased by 3,000, a loss of just 2 per cent.

Children's Services

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve children's services in health and social care; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We have already made significant improvements to health and social care services for children. The Quality Protects programme, an £885 million programme running from 1999–2004, has led to demonstrable improvements to the outcomes of some of the most vulnerable children in our society and children are benefiting from our strategy to invest in and transform the national health service.
	But there is much more to do. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced last year the development of a National Service Framework for Children, which will encompass health and social care services for children.

Health Inequalities (East London)

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in tackling health inequalities in East London.

Yvette Cooper: This Government are taking practical measures to narrow health inequalities across all areas of the country. In East London, additional funding and strong local partnerships, are successfully supporting action to tackle the causes of the widespread inequalities in the area.

CT Scanners

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the criteria which will determine the distribution of the new CT scanners.

John Hutton: Consultations regarding criteria for the allocation of 50 additional CT scanners, as outlined in the NHS Cancer Plan, will begin by the end of this month and will involve regions, strategic health authorities and the cancer networks. It is expected that final allocations will be published in the summer.
	One of the factors in establishing criteria for the allocation of additional equipment will be the relative provision of CT services to the population served.

Delayed Discharges

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to tackle delayed discharges from hospital.

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure closer co-operation between the national health service and social services departments to reduce delayed discharges from hospitals.

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State earlier today.

Long-term Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many long-term care beds there were in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001 in the (i) private, (ii) voluntary and (iii) public sectors.

Jacqui Smith: Among private sector care homes there were 407,130 beds in 1997 and 409,800 beds in 2001. Among voluntary sector care homes there were 64,460 beds in 1997 and 67,350 beds in 2001. Among local authority staffed homes there were 65,820 beds in 1997 and 50,860 beds in 2001.
	In addition the average daily number of beds managed by NHS trusts for residential care was 5,420 in 1997–98 and 5,659 in 2000–01.

Dental Health (Children)

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to improve the dental health of children in those areas where the incidence of dental decay is worst.

Hazel Blears: Oral health promotion features in Government initiatives aimed at reducing deprivation and health inequalities including Sure Start, Health Action Zones and Healthy Living Centres. More specifically, our "Brushing for Life" scheme provides free toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste to families with young children in the 21 health authorities where dental decay is highest.

Emergency Acute Services (Rural Areas)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the requirements for emergency acute services in remote rural areas.

Hazel Blears: Each health community is responsible for developing services that meet the needs of the community they serve, taking account of clinical standards and safety and the views of local people.
	The NHS Plan sets out our vision for a health service designed around the patient, with a commitment to provide a comprehensive range of services for everyone, using the guiding principle of providing as much care as possible as close to home as possible.
	Each Primary Care Trust needs to consider how best to plan and commission services to meet local needs, rather than imposing a single model of service from the centre.

Kent and Canterbury Hospital

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the downgrading of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

Hazel Blears: The proposals for the reconfiguration of acute hospital services in East Kent, which include the future role of Kent and Canterbury Hospital, are currently the subject of a public consultation. The consultation period runs until 28 February, therefore it would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt that exercise by commenting on the future of Kent and Canterbury at this time.

Consultants (Contracts)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to conclude negotiations on the national health service consultants' contracts.

John Hutton: The Government's proposals for the new consultant contract were published in February 2001 and these, alongside the British Medical Association's own proposals, form the basis of continuing negotiations. We have discussed a range of issues and options in the negotiations and I believe we are making good progress.

Nurses

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on steps being taken to increase the number of NHS nurses working in Worcester.

Yvette Cooper: Initiatives to increase the number of national health service nurses now working in the Worcester area include the appointment of a recruitment adviser, the provision of additional nursery places, Improving Working Lives initiatives, local, regional and overseas recruitment initiatives and the introduction of comprehensive professional development opportunities for nursing staff.

Nurses

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future supply of nurses.

John Hutton: Figures released on 5 February show that we have met the NHS Plan target for 20,000 more nurses by 2004 well ahead of schedule.
	The NHS Plan also commits us to 5,500 more nurses and midwives entering training each year by 2004. We are on course to achieve this and applications for nurse training are rising. Over the last two years the number of applicants for nursing and midwifery diploma courses has risen by 86 per cent.

Obesity (Young People)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to reduce the levels of obesity in young people.

Yvette Cooper: We are tackling levels of obesity in young people by improving diet and physical activity. This includes investment from the New Opportunities Fund for a PE and Sports Programme, a National School Fruit Scheme and nutritional standards for school lunches. Local strategies on reducing overweight and obesity are also being developed as part of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease.

Acupuncturists

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of acupuncturists practising in (a) the NHS and (b) the private sector.

Yvette Cooper: The Department does not record the number of people practising complementary medicine in the national health service. However organisations representing NHS professionals that use some acupuncture have over 3,000 members. A further 2,200 acupuncturists who practise mainly in the private sector belong to the British Acupuncture Council.

NHS Plan (Birmingham)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implementation of the NHS Plan in Birmingham.

Yvette Cooper: The NHS Plan is being implemented by the Birmingham health economy in a coherent and strategic way. The strong history of partnership working across Birmingham has allowed the local modernisation review process to continue to modernise and develop services for local people.
	Plans for the development of acute services in the south of the city are well under way, and the emerging primary care trusts will build on the work already undertaken to improve the health and well-being of the people of Birmingham.

Accident and Emergency Services

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on statistical techniques for measuring waiting times in accident and emergency units.

Hazel Blears: The Department requires the national health service to report quarterly on the numbers of patients who are admitted to hospital through accident and emergency and the length of time they waited following the decision to admit.
	The waiting time for an emergency hospital admission is measured from the time when the decision is made to admit or when treatment in accident and emergency is completed, whichever is the latest, to the time when the patient is received into:
	(a) a bed in an appropriate ward (a bed in an accident and emergency observation and assessment ward would count, but a trolley, bed or chair in a corridor would not); or
	(b) an operating theatre; or
	(c) another setting for immediate treatment (for example, an X-ray department) before being received into a bed in an appropriate ward.
	The NHS Plan set a new target for accident and emergency:
	Reduce the maximum wait in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by 2004. With the following interim milestones;
	75 per cent. of patients attending accident and emergency to wait four hours or less from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge by March 2002.
	90 per cent. of patients attending accident and emergency to wait four hours or less from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge by March 2003.
	In line with this, from August 2001, the Department has collected data on total time in accident and emergency from arrival to transfer, admission or discharge. Information suggests that the NHS is on track to meet the March 2002 milestone. Currently 77 per cent. of all accident and emergency attenders spend four hours or less in accident and emergency.
	In the majority of NHS trusts, information on waiting times in accident and emergency are extracted from patient records on hospital computer systems. If IT systems are not yet in place, NHS trusts can use sampling methodology to provide the figures. Guidance on sampling is provided in "Patient's Charter monitoring guide".

Accident and Emergency Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to visit the Royal National Hospital in Bath to discuss accident and emergency services.

Hazel Blears: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to visit the Royal United Hospital Bath National Health Service Trust to discuss accident and emergency services.

Endometriosis

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on services for sufferers from endometriosis.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 23 April 2001, Official Report, columns 179–80W.

Poverty (Health Effects)

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of poverty on health; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Poverty has a major impact on health. The independent Acheson inquiry into inequalities in health commissioned by the Government in 1997 concluded that many studies and analyses have demonstrated the association between poor health and increasing material disadvantage.
	Health inequalities is a priority for the whole Government. Two national targets to reduce health inequalities were announced in February 2001. A public consultation on the delivery of the targets was held in autumn 2001. We are currently undertaking a cross-cutting spending review to establish priorities for action to deliver the targets.

NHS Funding (Surrey and Sussex)

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about funding of the national health service in Surrey and Sussex.

Hazel Blears: The 2002–03 allocations for Surrey and Sussex health authorities will be as follows:
	
		
			  Total allocation  Total increase  Real terms increase  
			 Health authority (£000) (£000) (Percentage) (£000) (Percentage) 
		
		
			 East Surrey 324,719 27,582 9.31 19,686 6.65 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 666,721 59,913 9.89 43,674 7.21 
			 West Surrey 485,877 42,183 9.57 30,398 6.89 
			 West Sussex 618,829 53,847 9.58 38,824 6.91 
		
	
	This represents a substantial increase for all four health economies.
	The 2002–03 allocations for English health authorities represent the biggest average rise for a decade.

Air Ambulance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure 24-hour air ambulance cover for emergency journeys from islands to mainland hospitals.

Hazel Blears: There are currently 12 charitably funded air ambulance services operating in England. The charities are responsible for the number of aircraft provided. These charitably funded air ambulances are called out to emergencies by national health service ambulance trusts and generally staffed by NHS staff.
	Air ambulances have a role in delivering emergency care especially in rural areas and where road access is a problem. This can be an effective way of getting better and faster access to hospitals and valuable in supporting inter-hospital transfers. In 1995, the Department commissioned the Medical Research Unit at Sheffield university to report on air ambulances. The report failed to show benefits that would justify NHS investment.
	In recognition of the growing public interest in air ambulances and the fact that circumstances may have changed since research was last undertaken, the Department has commissioned a wide-ranging piece of primary research that is examining the role and effectiveness of air ambulance services in a modern NHS.

Sure Start

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the expenditure to date on each Sure Start Scheme in London, broken down by ward and borough.

Yvette Cooper: The table gives information on the expenditure of Sure Start programmes broken down by borough in London for 1999–2000 and 2000–01. Information is not available by ward. Figures for 2001–02 will not be available until after the end of the financial year.
	
		£ 
		
			 Programme name/borough Claimed revenue Claimed capital 
		
		
			 Programmes announced in January 1999   
			 Aylesbury Plus—Southwark 1,330,847 89,231 
			 Central Brent—Brent 280,284 0 
			 Edmonton—Enfield 844,406 109,357 
			 Euston—Camden 461,512 110,965 
			 Greenwich—Greenwich 370,536 116,258 
			 North Canning Town—Newham 186,791 0 
			 Ocean Estate—Tower Hamlets 272,036 0 
			 Queensbridge—Hackney 435,834 188,707 
			 St. James Street—Waltham Forest 255,988 0 
			 Tulse Hill—Lambeth 452,212 0 
			 West Green—Haringey 675,151 1,113,647 
			
			 Programmes announced in November 1999   
			 Bellingham—Lewisham 157,834 0 
			 Broad Green—Croydon 41,580 0 
			 Coningham—Hammersmith and Fulham 186,044 0 
			 Copenhagen—Islington 1,711 0 
			 Hounslow—Hounslow 111,001 19,418 
			 North West Kensington—Kensington and Chelsea 36,129 0 
			 Penge—Bromley 153,668 0 
			 South Northolt—Ealing 93,771 17,067 
			 Thames View—Barking and Dagenham 56,590 0 
			 Battersea—Wandsworth 111,042 14,210 
			 Westminster—Westminster 107,398 43,400

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Battle of Trafalgar

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My Department has no plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. However, plans for a series of events to mark the bicentenary of Trafalgar in 2005 and to celebrate Britain's unique relationship with the sea are currently being prepared by the Official Nelson Commemoration Committee. The Committee has been established by the National Maritime Museum, which is funded by my Department, in conjunction with the Royal Naval Museum. The Committee brings together the interests of a wide range of maritime associations connected with the Nelson Heritage and is currently considering a number of events with a special emphasis on ways of involving young people.

Film Council

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria she uses to determine grants to the Film Council; and what proportion has been allocated to (a) independent film makers and (b) television shows and soap operas.

Kim Howells: Levels of grant to the Film Council are determined by the Secretary of State, taking account of the overall level of allocation from the Treasury, departmental spending priorities and the Film Council's performance in meeting targets set out in its Funding Agreement. It is not within the Film Council's remit to provide funding for television programmes.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the amount was of each award made by the Film Council since 1 April 2000 to organisations in which members of the Board of the Film Council had an interest.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The following list details the amount of each Lottery award made by the Film Council between 1 April 2000 to 31 December 2001 to organisations in which members of the Board of the Film Council have an interest.
	
		Film council, Lottery awards to organisations in which board members had an interest since 1 April 2000(4)
		
			  Board member/Applicant  Date of award  Name of project Amount of award (£)  Fund  Relevant interest 
		
		
			 Tim Bevan  
			 WT2 Ltd. 15 June 2000 Long Time Dead 1,000,000 Interim arrangements Director 
			   
			 Tim Bevan, Duncan Kenworthy and Stewart Till  
			 NSCTP 1 August 2001 Project Development Workshops and Train the Trainers 21,306 Training Governors or Trustees of National Film and Television School: NSCTP is a self-funding Unit of the School and a non-profit organisation 
			   
			 Parminder Vir  
			 Carlton Television 26 June 2001 The Prince of Dalston 8,250 Development Employee of Carlton Television 
			   
			 Sarah Radclyffe  
			 S. Films — Fever—PILOT 10,000 New Cinema fund Co-producer on this project 
			   
			 Paul Webster  
			 Century Films 6 April 2000 The Tyre 45,258 Interim arrangement Director of Film Four. Film Four acts as a co-financier on these projects which are also supported by the Film Council. The awards are made to third party organisations and any benefits accruing to Film Four will be derived from its own investment in the projects and not through the Film Council. 
			 Pipedream Pictures Ltd. 6 April 2000 Crush (aka A Certain Age) 875,000 Interim arrangement — 
			 Velvet Films 14 September 2000 dish 30,000 Interim arrangement — 
			 WOW Prod & Trijbits Prod 18 May 2000 My Brother Tom (aka My Brother Rob) 359,989 Interim arrangement — 
			 Spectre Films Ltd. 26 September 2000 The Invasion 34,100 Interim arrangement — 
			 Feelgood Films 31 January 2001 Miranda (aka Carbon Miranda) 849,315 Premiere — 
			 Suspect Device 20 June 2001 Straightheads 8,500 Development (Co-development with Film Four Lab) 
			 Slat Films 15 August 2001 Once upon a time in the Midlands 690,000 New cinema Fund — 
			 Hot Property Ltd. 19 September 2000 Bodysong 350,000 New Cinema Fund — 
			 Total   4,281,718   
		
	
	(4) To 31 December 2001
	
		Lottery awards made to the three pre-existing Lottery film franchises in which board members had an interest since 1 April 2000(5)
		
			  Board member/Applicant  Date of award  Name of project Amount of award (£)  Fund  Relevant interest 
		
		
			 Duncan Kenworthy and James Lee  
			 DNA Films Ltd. 20 June 2001 28 Days Later 3,000,000 Franchise Directors 
			 DNA Films Ltd. 10 October 2001 Heartlands 1,430,000   
			 DNA Films Ltd. 21 March 2000 The Parole Officer 2,000,000  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			   
			 Sarah Radclyffe  
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 17 August 2000 A Romantic comedy about Divorce 38,750 Franchise Former Director. Directorship ceased on 25 April 2001 
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 17 August 2000 Agent X 37,500   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 17 August 2000 Dead Sexy 45,000   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 28 November 2001 Drunken Monkey 10,250   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 27 July 2000 Feet Up 41,750   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 21 November 2001 Hawksmoor 36,670   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 18 May 2000 It was an Accident 99,850   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 30 August 2001 Max Hoffman 1,971,830   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 1 March 2000 Minister of Fund 47,950  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 1 March 2000 Ode to Pandora 22,000  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 27 July 2000 The Abduction Club 1,200,000   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 27 July 2000 The Alchemist 41,750   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 21 November 2001 The Blitz 90,734   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 6 April 2000 The Hole 1,500,000   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 14 September 2000 The Mighty Walzer 57,000   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 20 June 2001 The Mushroom Prince 20,900   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 4 July 2001 The Season 47,515   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 27 July 2000 The Wedding Gift 41,750   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 27 July 2000 There's Only One Jimmy Grimble 60,000   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 21 February 2001 Thunderpants 2,000,000  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 21 November 2001 Thunderpants 53,867   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 5 December 2001 Tunnel Vision 36,500   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 8 January 2001 Ugly Streakers 2,500   
			 Pathé Pictures Ltd. 17 August 2000 Waterloo Sunset 50,000   
			   
			 Chris Auty  
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 7 November 2001 24 Hour Party People 247,842 Franchise (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2000 24 Hour Party People 2,000,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 20 June 2001 A Passionate Woman 20,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 18 May 2000 Brian Jones Project 19,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 20 December 2000 Chameleon 6,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 3 October 2001 Charlies Noads—RIP 5,597   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2000 Child of Air 11,500  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 7 November 2001 Christmas Carol 425,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 3 October 2001 Dead Souls 6,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 28 March 2001 Dr. Sleep 8,500   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 28 March 2001 Dr. Sleep 1,375,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2000 Dust 50,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 7 March 2001 Dust 59,410  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2000 Fattypuffs and Thinifers 20,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 5 December 2001 Fourth Wall 30,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 7 November 2001 Gabriel and Me 101,243   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2000 Haroun and the Sea of Stories 60,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 17 January 2001 Innocence 8,750   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 2 May 2001 Innocence 1,150,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 15 June 2000 Innocence 11,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 19 October 1999 Janice Beard 85,000  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 26 September 2001 Large 80,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 27 July 2000 Large 75,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 20 December 2000 Large 50,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 27 July 2000 Quiz Night 13,600   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 4 July 2001 Room to Rent 80,000  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 14 September 2000 Seven Against the West 34,000  
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 2 May 2001 shame 10,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 6 April 2000 Streets Above Us 10,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 17 August 2000 The 51st State 2,000,000   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 1 March 2000 Transgressions 15,000  Soft commitment made pre 1 April 
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 20 December 2000 The Rose of Tralee 8,500   
			 The Film consortium Ltd. 21 March 2001 Room to Rent 20,000   
			 Total Franchises   22,095,008  (UK TV licence owned by Film Four) 
		
	
	(5) To 31 December 2001
	Note:
	1. This list includes sums provided to the three Lottery Film Franchises. The legal contracts committing the Franchise funds were signed in 1997–98 when the Lottery franchises were awarded by the Arts Council of England and are not new awards. The Franchisees are therefore contractually entitled to the funding irrespective of current Board membership.
	2. Awards made to the Franchisees as soft commitments before 1 April 2000 are disclosed here as hard commitments. This disclosure follows the accounting treatment in the 2001 accounts.
	3. Paul Webster is a Director of Film Four. Film Four acts as co-producer or co-funder on a number of projects also supported by the Film Council. However, the awards are made to third party organisations and any benefits accruing to Film Four will be derived from its own investment in the project and not through the Film Council. In the financial year 2000–01 the total amount of awards to such organisations was £4,468,072.
	4. Other applications have been received from organisations in which Board members have an interest which are either pending a decision or have already been rejected.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the practice of the Film Council in relation to awards to organisations in which members of the board of the Film Council had an interest.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	Evaluation of lottery funding applications has been delegated by the Film Council board through the Chief Executive Officer, as Accounting Officer, to fund or scheme managers. This ensures that members of the board do not participate in the discussion or determination of individual awards whether or not individual board members hold an interest in the application.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the awards made by the Film Council since 1 April 2000 to organisations in which members of the board of the Film Council had an interest.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The Film Council acknowledges that with a board which includes industry practitioners, there will be occasions when board members or organisations employing board members will apply for Film Council funding. The procedures adopted by the council for handling potential conflicts of interest provide that board members do not exert any influence in the determination of applications for lottery awards.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the awards made by the Film Council since 1 April 2000 were made to organisations in which members of the board of the Film Council had an interest.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The proportion of new awards made to organisations in which board members have an interest, since 1 April 2000, and where no pre-existing commitments exist, is 9 per cent. However, awards honoured since 1 April 2000, including prior contractual commitments inherited by the Film Council from the Arts Council of England in respect of the three lottery film franchises, increased the proportion to 55 per cent.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been paid in awards by the Film Council since 1 April 2000.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	Between 1 April 2000 and 31 December 2001 the Film Council committed new lottery awards for projects to a total of £47.6 million.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the dates of the meetings of the board of the Film Council since 1 April 2000, stating for each meeting the (a) members of the board present and (b) awards agreed on.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The following list sets out the dates of Film Council board meetings and the members of the board present for each. Minutes of the meetings are publicly available on request or through the library of the British Film Institute. Lottery awards are made outside of Film Council board meetings by fund or scheme managers.
	Film Council board meetings: dates and attendees—April 2000 to present.
	Sir Alan Parker is the chairman of the Film Council.
	Board members are:
	Stewart Till (Deputy chair)
	Dawn Airey
	Joan Bakewell CBE
	Charles Denton
	James Lee
	Colin Leventhal
	Parminder Vir
	Iain Smith
	Chris Auty
	Tim Bevan
	John Hill
	Duncan Kenworthy OBE
	Sarah Radclyffe
	Paul Webster
	18 April 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Paul Webster.
	30 May 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	There was no meeting in June 2000.
	25 July 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Dawn Airey, Joan Bakewell, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	22 August 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Paul Webster.
	26 September 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, James Lee, Coin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	31 October 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Duncan Kenworthy, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	28 November 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Tim Bevan, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Duncan Kenworthy, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir.
	19 December 2000
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	30 January 2001
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Duncan Kenworthy, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	27 February 2001
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Charles Denton, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Duncan Kenworthy, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	27 March 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Chris Auty, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir.
	24 April 2001
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Dawn Airey, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir.
	There was no meeting in May 2001.
	26 June 2001
	Attendees: Alan Parker, Chris Auty, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Stewart Till, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	31 July 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	There was no meeting in August 2001.
	25 September 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Dawn Airey, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir.
	30 October 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Charles Denton, John Hill, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	27 November 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Chris Auty, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir, Paul Webster.
	19 December 2001
	Attendees: Stewart Till, Joan Bakewell, Tim Bevan, Charles Denton, John Hill, Duncan Kenworthy, James Lee, Colin Leventhal, Sarah Radclyffe, Iain Smith, Parminder Vir.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the steps taken by the Film Council to ensure that no conflict of interest existed when decisions to make awards to organisations in which members of the board of the Film Council had an interest were taken.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2002
	Decisions on Lottery funding applications have been delegated to individual fund or scheme managers. This ensures that members of the board do not participate in the discussion or determination of matters in which they might have a direct interest. There is an onus on both the board member and on the Film Council to identify at an early stage any new interest a board member, their spouse or close family member or any person with whom they have a close personal relationship, whether or not living in the same household, has in projects or in activities resulting in an application to the Film Council for funding. A register of board members' interests is maintained and is updated annually.

Independent Film Makers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning use of tax allowances by (a) independent film makers and (b) television producers.

Kim Howells: Officials from my department have met a number of independent film producers, television producers, and broadcasters, as well as representatives from industry trade organisations, and the Film Council, to discuss the use of tax allowances. The views expressed were passed to the Inland Revenue as changes to the tax relief are, ultimately, a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Independent Film Makers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the extent to which tax allowances have been taken up by (a) independent film makers and (b) television shows.

Kim Howells: About 50 per cent. of the tax relief, by value, goes to film producers, and 50 per cent. to television producers. The vast majority of applications from film makers for a 'British film' certificate to access the tax relief are from independent film makers, as opposed to the small number of films made each year in the UK by the major Hollywood studios.

Departmental Staff

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff left the service of her Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many her Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age.

Kim Howells: The information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  DCMS RPA 
		
		
			 Left in year to 31 March 2001 3 2 
			 Before retirement age 3 1 
			 Responsibility for payments 3 1 
		
	
	Note:
	This data exclude staff who left to join other Government Departments or to pursue employment elsewhere.

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 506W, what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in each year since May 1997.

Richard Caborn: The previous answer addressed the cost of refurbishment, which was taken to mean not merely redecoration and/or replacement furnishing but rather extensive building works. The cost of redecoration/ refurnishing of ministerial offices has been £106,382.98 in the period November 1997 to January 1998. A sum of £22,134 in 1999 and £11,200 in late 2001.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 339W, what the area in square feet of the property referred to is.

Richard Caborn: The premises referred to were a total of 5,690.94 square feet over three floors.

Sports Clubs

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have concerning charitable status for sports clubs.

Richard Caborn: The Charity Commission announced in November 2001 that certain local amateur sports clubs would be eligible to apply for charitable status on the grounds that such clubs promote healthy recreation. I have recently met the commission's chairman to discuss how best to encourage clubs to apply for charitable status, and to ensure that the widest possible range of sports are eligible. In the light of that meeting, I consider that charitable status will offer a great deal to many clubs.
	That meeting followed detailed discussions with sport and other interested parties since the publication of the Treasury's consultation document, "Promoting Sport in the Community", on 30 November. These discussions included a consideration of the alternative, non-charitable, proposals included in the Treasury document, and I intend to raise the results of that consideration with Treasury Ministers shortly.

Handheld Televisions

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on applying the television licence fee to handheld televisions; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: A television licence is required to use any television receiver as defined in the Wireless Telegraphy (Television Licence Fees) Regulations 1997. The licence fee does not vary according to the size or portability of a television set. However, a television licence covers the use anywhere in the United Kingdom, by the licensee or a person normally living with the licensee at the licensed address, of a television receiver powered solely by its own internal batteries.

Television Licences

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will safeguard the £5 concessionary television licence for those living in schemes with a resident warden when a scheme loses its concessionary licence by accommodating those not of a pensionable age or by the landlord adopting a travelling warden service in place of a resident warden.

Kim Howells: As announced last year, the Government propose to introduce measures to preserve the rights of beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary television licence scheme when the social mix or the level of warden cover in their sheltered housing change, so long as they remain in accommodation provided or managed by a local authority, a housing association or a development corporation. Consultations between officials and the BBC about the necessary amendments to the television licence fee regulations are currently under way. We intend to bring forward these amendments as soon as we can but it is important that in doing so we do not create any new anomalies or unnecessary administrative burdens.

Sport

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what levels of funding have been available for sport in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) in total in each of the last 10 years from (i) central Government and (ii) the Lottery.

Richard Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway) on 13 February 2002, Official Report, columns 408–09W.

World Athletics

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will publish the Government's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report, "Unpicking the Lock: the World Athletics Championships in the UK".

Tessa Jowell: The Government's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report "Unpicking the Lock: the World Athletics Championships in the UK" has been laid before both Houses today.

Departmental Expenditure

David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are to amend her Department's (a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limits for 2001–02.

Tessa Jowell: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2001–02 will be increased by £10,211,000 from £1,169,881,000 to £1,180,092,000 and the Department's administration costs limit increased by £3,171,000 from £32,237,000 to £35,408,000.
	Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 Resources  
			 Change 10,121 
			 New DEL 1,037,374 
			 of which:  
			 Voted 148,247 
			 Non-voted 889,127 
			   
			 Capital  
			 Change 90 
			 New DEL 142,718 
			 of which:  
			 Voted 101,817 
			 Non-voted 40,901 
		
	
	The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from the transfer of resources from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £2,000,000 toward the costs of mounting the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester; the transfer of resources, as part of the machinery of government changes, from the Cabinet Office of £210,000 for the administration costs of the Commonwealth Games Unit; from the Home Office of £2,461,000 for the administration costs of the Golden Jubilee Unit and of the alcohol licensing, gambling, film and video licensing functions, of £1,265,000 for the receipts and £3,680,000 for the expenditure of the Gaming Board of Great Britain, and of £3,000,000 for grants and associated expenditure for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
	Other changes include the provision of additional resources under the end-year flexibility (EYF) arrangements, as set out in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper, 2000–01 (Cm. 5243), of £35,000 for the Government Art Collection and to provide for a transfer of resources of £500,000 from the Department's research to administration costs budgets.
	The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from the transfer from the Home Office of £90,000 for the capital expenditure of the Golden Jubilee Unit. The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the DEL reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Internet Sites

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on requiring internet service providers to remove access to sites that promote graffiti writing.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no requirement on internet service providers to remove access to such sites, although they remove illegal material of which they become aware, (such as child pornography), from sites they are hosting.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Robin Cook: The available information is:
	2000–01: £8,225
	2001–02: £21,532.
	The additional information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Robin Cook: My Department spent a total of £5,589 on these items in financial year 2000–01. The more detailed information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

E-democracy

Margaret Moran: To ask the President of the Council what consultation he intends to undertake in introducing e-democracy to Parliament.

Robin Cook: The memorandum I presented to the Modernisation Committee before Christmas set out my desire to improve the way in which new technologies are used at Westminster. I welcome views from all Members on how we might better utilise Information and Communications Technologies in the House of Commons.
	In addition, the Government will publish later this year a consultation paper on e-democracy and online consultation. We hope that this will inform the use of new technologies in Parliament and we will be seeking views from the public and Members of Parliament, including via e-mail, in response to that document.

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years.

Robin Cook: The available information is as follows:
	2000–01: £9,614
	2001–02 1 : £4,994
	1 To end January 2001
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans there are to change the Attorney-General's Department's (a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limit for 2001–02.

Harriet Harman: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Attorney-General's Departments DEL will be increased by £8,681,000 from £451,563,000 to £460,244,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £7,731,000 from £322,103,000 to £329,834,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 Resources  
			 Change 6,362 
			 New DEL 436,276 
			 of which:  
			 Voted 426,276 
			 Non-voted 10,000 
			   
			 Capital  
			 Change 2,319 
			 New DEL 23,968 
			 Of which:  
			 Voted 23,968 
			 Non-voted — 
		
	
	The Crown Prosecution Service's DEL will be increased by £8,286,000 from £414,893,000 to £423,179,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £7,267,000 from £296,974,000 to £304,241,000. The increase in the resource element of the DEL arises from speeding up the reform of the CPS to allow it to contribute fully to criminal justice targets, implementation of extended court sitting hours and the provision of resources for the CPS prosecutor recovered assets training project. The decrease in DEL arises from the transfer of £120,000 to the Home Office in respect of the CPS's contribution to CJIU. The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from the take up of £2,000,000 of end year flexibility entitlement and a transfer of resources from the Home Office to support the video recording of police interviews. The decrease in capital arises from the return to the Home Office of £150,000 of Capital Modernisation Fund resources.
	HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor's Department DEL will be decreased by £105,000 from £15,745,000 to £15,640,000 and the administration costs limits will be decreased by £36,000 from £10,629,000 to £10,593,000. The decrease in the resource element of the DEL is the net effect of a transfer of £106,000 to clients whose work will become chargeable in the current financial year. The decreases in HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor's Department DEL will be effected by a £1,000 Token Supplementary Estimate.
	The Serious Fraud Office's DEL will be increased by £500,000 from £20,925,000 to £21,425,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £500,000 from £14,415,000 to £14,915,000. The increase in the resource element of the DEL arises from development of the Docman information support system and funding of early retirements in support of restructuring of the Serious Fraud Office to enable it to contribute fully to criminal justice targets.
	The increases will be entirely met by a transfer from the Criminal Justice System reserve, transfers from the Home Office and take up of capital end year flexibility entitlement.
	The additional expenditure will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 11 February 2002
	The expenditure by my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,667.82 
			 1998–99 3,213.09 
			 1999–2000 2,843.69 
			 2000–01 2,419.43 
		
	
	Current records do not distinguish the cost of calls made in the United Kingdom and abroad but the latter cost would be de minimis. Current records do not distinguish the cost of equipment and the cost of calls. There is no separate coding for reimbursement of costs of calls made from privately owned equipment but such expenditure would be de minimis.The Crown Prosecution Service has only provided mobile telephones and other associated equipment to its staff in the United Kingdom. The amount spent for 1997–98 and each subsequent financial year is:
	
		£ 
		
			  Equipment Telephone calls 
		
		
			 1997–98 — — 
			 1998–99 1,000 — 
			 1999–2000 96,000 9,000 
			 2000–01 38,000 30,000 
		
	
	Reclaimed costs for calls made on privately owned mobile telephones are not recorded separately.
	The expenditure on mobile telephone equipment and calls by the Treasury Solicitor's Department and Government property lawyers was as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			  TSD GPL 
		
		
			 1997–98 9,605.33 — 
			 1998–99 8,443.21 2,069.28 
			 1999–2000 9,513.81 720.04 
			 2000–01 11,818.41 14.06 
		
	
	Current records do not distinguish the cost of equipment and the cost of calls. There is no separate coding for reimbursement of costs of calls made from privately owned equipment but such expenditure would be de minimis.
	No equipment was purchased abroad but the figures given may include call charges incurred abroad.
	The Serious Fraud Office makes available mobile telephone equipment for business use on a loan and permanent allocation basis to SFO staff. Financial information is available on the amounts spent providing this service but not to the level of detail requested. This would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		£ 
		
			  Equipment Calls 
		
		
			 1997–98 9,258.37 2,611.92 
			 1998–99 3,652.42 826.31 
			 1999–2000 3,559.03 3,090.59 
			 2000–01 3,352.45 3,889.07 
		
	
	Information on the split between the United Kingdom and abroad would be available only at disproportionate cost. Information about amounts reclaimed by staff, which is minimal, would be available only at disproportionate cost.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 415W, what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in each year since May 1997.

Clare Short: The costs of refurbishing the two ministerial private offices were as follows:
	1997: £7,978
	1998: £7,376
	1999: Nil
	2000: Nil
	2001: Approximately £60,000. 1
	1 This is an estimate of the cost of the works carried out in these areas, as part of the overall refurbishment of the whole of the 1 Palace Street building.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) her Department, (b) her agencies and (c) other public bodies for which she has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997.

Clare Short: My Department has had no empty properties during the specified period. There are no other agencies or public bodies for which we are responsible.

Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the global fund for AIDS, TB and malaria will aim to treat those already infected with HIV.

Clare Short: The global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (GFATM) is committed to adopting a balanced, integrated approach between treatment and prevention. Moreover, it will work through existing country co-ordination mechanisms wherever possible. These mechanisms will be free to shape any bid for funding around their own assessment and experience of in-country priorities. A decision on which of the first tranche of proposals to support will be made in April by the GFATM board, which has equal representation of donors and developing countries.

Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures the global fund for AIDS, TB and malaria has in place to ensure that those with specific local knowledge of the regions in need are able to play a full part in the decision-making processes of the fund.

Clare Short: The global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (GFATM) has incorporated a number of safeguards to ensure that those with specific local knowledge of the regions in need are able to play a full part in the decision-making process.
	Applications to the fund will use existing country co-ordination mechanisms wherever possible. These mechanisms will be free to shape their applications around their own assessment and experience of in-country priorities.
	The fund is in the process of establishing a technical review panel made up of experts from developed and developing countries and including those with an in-depth knowledge of working in regions in need. The panel will review applications submitted to the board and make recommendations to the board. The board, which itself comprises an equal number of representatives from developed and developing world countries, plus representatives from NGOs and the private sector, will take the final decisions on funding.

Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria has an overall policy to purchase drugs at the lowest possible cost.

Clare Short: Yes. The global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (GFATM) has an overall policy to purchase drugs at the lowest possible price consistent with the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) agreement and the Doha ministerial declaration on TRIPS and public health.

Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development where and how the resources of the global fund for the alleviation of AIDS, TB and Malaria are being disbursed for health systems and treatments; what strategies were decided upon when the fund's management board met on 28 January; and if she will commit additional resources to the fund.

Clare Short: No decisions on disbursements from the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) will be made until the second board meeting in April. However, the fund does have agreed principles and an operating framework. The UK contributed to the process of agreeing these and was content with the outcome.
	The first board meeting on 28–29 January resulted in the fund being legally established as a foundation in Switzerland. The board approved a call for proposals and finalised a set of guidelines for their submission, which also explain the proposal review process.
	The main challenge for the fund in its first year will be to demonstrate value added and effectiveness in its use of the funds already committed. Donors including the UK will consider the level of future contributions in light of the fund's initial performance.

Afghanistan

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what proportion of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan announced on 19 September 2001 has been disbursed;
	(2)  what proportion of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan announced on 12 October 2001 has been disbursed.

Clare Short: On 19 September 2001 I announced £25 million to help meet the immediate humanitarian needs in response to the Afghanistan crisis. On 12 October 2001 I announced a further £15 million of humanitarian assistance. These allocations have been fully disbursed through various United Nations agencies, the Red Cross movement and non-governmental organisations.

Pakistan

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the humanitarian assistance to Pakistan announced on 28 September 2001 has been disbursed.

Clare Short: The following table provides the current expenditure and invoiced totals against the individual project allocations.
	
		Pakistan
		
			 Emergency short-term assistance Allocation (£000) Spend to 20 February 2002 (£000) Advanced or invoiced (£000) Total (£000) Percentage 
		
		
			 Lady health workers 5,200 — 4,424 4,424 85 
			 NWFP Drugs 1,000 — 592 592 59 
			 Balochistan Drugs 1,000 — 559 559 56 
			 Sarhad rural support 1,100 309 342 651 59 
			 Social marketing of condoms 2,700 1,944 527 2,471 92 
			  
			 Total 11,000 2,253 6,444 8,697 79 
		
	
	Notes:
	Total column reflects expected expenditure in the current financial year, as agreed with Government of Pakistan based on need and absorptive capacity.
	Balance of funds should disburse by end May.

Sexual/Reproductive Health

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contributions her Department has made to sexual and reproductive health non-governmental organisations in each of the last three years; and which of these organisations were British based.

Clare Short: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and to provide it would be at disproportionate cost to my department. However, a useful summary of payments made to all UK civil society organisations can be found in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01", Table 14, DFID Expenditure through UK CSOs 2000/01, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 644W, what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) her Department, (b) her agencies and (c) other public bodies for which she has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: To ascertain the total area in square feet of empty freehold properties owned by the Department of Trade and Industry, her non-departmental public bodies and public corporations would involve disproportionate costs. However, we are able to supply the details for the National Environmental Council and British Nuclear Fuels plc.
	
		
			 Status Year Empty freehold properties Area per square foot 
		
		
			 NERC 2000 5 37,311.00 
			  2001 2 12,755.00 
			 BNFL plc 1999 2 72,000.00 
			  2000 3 142,000.00 
			  2001 3 114,000.00

Civil Servants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant.

Patricia Hewitt: (a) The departmental travel agent arranged 16,616 first class rail journeys in 2001. This represents 60 per cent. of the journeys arranged by them. They do not, however, arrange all the department's rail journeys.
	(b) The average cost of those first class journeys, booked as above, was £113.
	(c) The DTI does not record cost of rail travel by grade of civil servant separately from other data on travel expenses paid for staff undertaking departmental business. To provide the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.

Postal Costs

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the percentage change in real postage prices is for (a) first and (b) second class letters over the last (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years; and what these prices would be in today's money;
	(2)  what figures she has collated on the cost of sending a first class letter weighing (a) 50 grams and (b) 60 grams in each European Union country.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 14 February 2002
	I am informed by Consignia that the percentage change in real postage prices is as follows:
	
		
			 Years First class basic weight step percentage Second class basic weight step percentage 
		
		
			 0–5 8.5 16.3 
			 0–10 9.5 16.3 
			 0–20 15.7 27.8 
		
	
	First and second basic weight step prices in September 2001 prices are:
	
		Pence 
		
			 Years ago First Second 
		
		
			 Current 27.0 19.0 
			 5 29.5 22.7 
			 10 29.8 22.7 
			 20 32.0 26.3

Small Businesses (Funding)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the current documents published that present concise details of the sources of funding for small businesses.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service has a brochure, Sources of Finance for your Business, which is aimed at helping small businesses decide what kind of finance is most appropriate to their needs. It contains details about sources of help and advice and contacts for further information. Copies of the booklet have been distributed throughout the Business Link network, and also with Banks, Accountants and a wide variety of other financial institutions and business support organisations.

Small Businesses (Funding)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Competition Commission, as part of its SME banking investigation, is investigating the practice of routinely requiring personal guarantees from the proprietors of small businesses seeking finance.

Nigel Griffiths: As the issue of personal guarantees relates to banking services, and the Government's response to the Competition Commission report into the supply of banking services to small and medium enterprises has not yet been published, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Post Offices

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her definition is of (a) the term 'rural' defined with repect to rural post offices and (b) the term 'community' defined with respect to community post offices.

Douglas Alexander: A rural post office is defined as one serving a community of up to 10,000 inhabitants. Community offices are post offices which keep shorter hours than usual in response to local conditions.

Post Offices

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who is entitled to apply for funds from the fund which has been established to sustain community post offices; what the eligibility criteria are; and what attempts have been made to inform post offices of the fund.

Douglas Alexander: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) of 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 650W.
	The former Minister for Competitiveness wrote to every parish and community council in the UK in March 2001 to announce the fund which is now promoted by rural transfer advisers from Post Office Limited.

Post Offices

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions have been taken to prevent the avoidable closure of post offices; and what her definition is of the term avoidable closure defined in this context.

Douglas Alexander: Post Office Ltd. has set up a team of rural transfer advisers to explore options for keeping rural sub-post offices open and is administering the £2 million Government fund to assist volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or re-establish post office services in rural communities. Through such measures, Post Office Ltd. is continuing its efforts to reopen sub-post offices where there have been recent closures.
	Consignia define an unavoidable closure of a post office as one where no one suitable is prepared to take over from the departing sub-postmaster, where no suitable premises remain available or can be identified or where an associated retail business is no longer commercially viable.

Small Business Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Small Business Service has published a strategy for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2002–12, with associated milestones and targets.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service has published a strategy for 2001–04. Milestones and key performance targets are set out in SBS's annual business plan. The annual operational targets for SBS are announced in the House.
	The strategy and business plan are available on www.sbs.gov.uk.

Post Office Staff

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average salary of a post office sub-postmaster is in (a) the constituency of the Ribble Valley, and Fulwood, (b) Lancashire, (c) the North West of England, (d) Wales and (e) the United Kingdom, in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the average figures for sub-postmasters' remuneration were:
	
		
			   £000 
		
		
			 1997 29.8 
			 1998 29.9 
			 1999 30.5 
			 2000 31.0 
			 2001 32.1 
		
	
	Figures are not kept on parliamentary constituency or regional bases.

Post Office Staff

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many full-time equivalents are employed by Post Office Counters Ltd. in (a) the parliamentary constituency of the Ribble Valley and Fulwood, (b) Lancashire, (c) the North West of England, (d) Wales and (e) the United Kingdom, in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that in the United Kingdom, since 1997, the numbers of full-time equivalents employed by Post Office Ltd. (POL) and previously Post Office Network (PON) and Post Office Counters Ltd. (POCL) were:
	
		
			 As at January   
		
		
			 1997 POCL 14,355 
			 1998 POCL 14,157 
			 1999 POCL 14,254 
			 2000 PON, Network Banking and Cash Handling and Distribution 14,391 
			 2001 PON, Network Banking (6)12,266 
			 2002 POL (7)11,983 
		
	
	(6) Cash Handling and Distribution reporting as a separate business.
	(7) Cash Handling and Distribution not included.
	Note:
	Figures are not kept on constituency or regional bases.

Belize Dam

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether AMEC has applied for export credit guarantees in connection with the Belize dam project.

Patricia Hewitt: We have received no application from AMEC in respect of any Belize dam project.

Small Enterprises

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the performance of the UK recorded in the European Commission report, Implementation of the European Charter for Small Enterprises; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: The UK is delighted with the European Commission's full report on the implementation of "The European Charter for Small Enterprises". The Commission calls for the European Union to 'Think Small First' when developing enterprise policies—mirroring the approach already adopted by the United Kingdom. In their examination of national enterprise policies, the Commission highlighted the following UK initiatives:
	the opening of a representative office in Brussels—smallbusinessEurope, a voice by small business for small business—where the UK has been the only member state to take direct action on this element of the charter.
	among the lowest costs and shortest time required to start a business in the EU
	steps introduced to modernise insolvency laws and allow honest failure
	the introduction of scholarships for potential entrepreneurs from deprived areas
	the establishment of a Regulatory Impact Assessment system that analyses alternatives to regulation
	the High Technology Fund which invests in early-stage high-technology focused funds getting businesses to trade online with tough targets
	the introduction of an E-Envoy
	the launching of a programme to promote links between universities and business for the commercial exploitation of university research so we make the most of our innovative potential.
	A copy of the UK's report to the Commission entitled "The European Charter for Small Enterprises—A Review of relevant actions in force in the United Kingdom" was placed in the Libraries of the House in November.
	The UK looks forward to a full evaluation of the report at the spring summit in Barcelona and a clear reaffirmation of the EU to fulfilling all the commitments set out in the charter.

Late Payment

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the amount of interest that has been paid (a) in total and (b) to SMEs as a result of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Nigel Griffiths: The Department does not hold this information, because there is no requirement for businesses to report such amounts to the Department.

Late Payment

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Nigel Griffiths: This Act is part of a package of measures that the Government have put in place to change the late payment culture here. The Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC) based at Leeds University has been monitoring late payment activity in England since 1998.
	The CMRC reports show that there has been a fall of almost 7.5 per cent. in the percentage of payments that are reported as being late by the businesses that they survey. This fall relates to the period between their first survey and the survey for the quarter ending June 2001. During the same period the number of debtor days for small businesses has fallen by almost 24 per cent. and the mean number of debtor days for all businesses has fallen by almost 20 per cent.
	Finally, the "European Business Survey" for 2001, produced by the accountants Grant Thornton, shows the UK as having a payment period almost a week (five days) shorter than the EU average (52 days).

Late Payment

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to introduce further measures to prevent delays in paying commercial debts.

Nigel Griffiths: We are currently working to give businesses two significant new entitlements; the right to claim reasonable debt-recovery costs without having to go to court; and the ability for grossly unfair terms and conditions that work against the intent of the late payment legislation to be challenged and their continued use prevented.
	The changes will come into effect from 8 August 2002, and from that date the late payment legislation will be available to all businesses and organisations irrespective of their size. Currently only small businesses can use the legislation, although previously this right was to have been extended to all business and organisations from 1 November 2002.

Employee Statistics

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many enterprises there were with (a) fewer than 50, (b) between 50 and 249, (c) between 250 and 499 and (d) over 500 employees in each nation and region of the UK in each of the last five years; and what the percentage annual change was in each category and for each year.

Nigel Griffiths: Regional data on the number of businesses are available for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999.
	
		
			   Businesses (number)  Annual change (percentage)  
			 Size (number of employees) 1997 1998 1999 1997 1998 1999 
		
		
			 North East   
			 0–49 95,990 98,005 90,160 (8)— 2.1 -8.0 
			 50–249 925 905 885 (8)— -2.2 -2.2 
			 250–499 130 120 110 (8)— -7.7 -8.3 
			 500 plus 105 110 100 (8)— 4.8 -9.1 
			
			 North West   
			 0–49 380,325 352,620 352,740 (8)— -7.3 0.0 
			 50–249 2,935 2,845 2,730 (8)— -3.1 -4.0 
			 250–499 380 360 330 (8)— -5.3 -8.3 
			 500 plus 355 365 375 (8)— 2.8 2.7 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber
			 0–49 288,650 267,275 256,590 (8)— -7.4 -4.0 
			 50–249 2,410 2,120 2,075 (8)— -12.0 -2.1 
			 250–499 290 280 265 (8)— -3.4 -5.4 
			 500 plus 315 285 300 (8)— -9.5 5.3 
			
			  East Midlands
			 0–49 237,795 226,685 232,540 (8)— -4.7 2.6 
			 50–249 2,080 2,010 1,895 (8)— -3.4 -5.7 
			 250–499 240 235 240 (8)— -2.1 2.1 
			 500 plus 245 265 250 (8)— 8.2 -5.7 
			
			  West Midlands
			 0–49 303,580 283,865 285,775 (8)— -6.5 0.7 
			 50–249 2,515 2,465 2,305 (8)— -2.0 -6.5 
			 250–499 325 330 310 (8)— 1.5 -6.1 
			 500 plus 340 335 330 (8)— -1.5 -1.5 
			
			  East of England
			 0–49 376,025 376,250 349,390 (8)— 0.1 -7.1 
			 50–249 2,310 2,300 2,205 (8)— -0.4 -4.1 
			 250–499 310 305 280 (8)— -1.6 -8.2 
			 500 plus 320 310 325 (8)— -3.1 4.8 
			
			 London   
			 0–49 562,500 563,145 660,990 (8)— 0.1 17.4 
			 50–249 3,800 3,705 3,465 (8)— -2.5 -6.5 
			 250–499 605 590 565 (8)— -2.5 -4.2 
			 500 plus 730 720 710 (8)— -1.4 -1.4 
			 South East   
			 0–49 608,445 614,995 601,610 (8)— 1.1 -2.2 
			 50–249 3,685 3,580 3,375 (8)— -2.8 -5.7 
			 250–499 485 500 475 (8)— 3.1 -5.0 
			 500 plus 545 555 540 (8)— 1.8 -2.7 
			
			 South West   
			 0–49 361,220 368,955 358,330 (8)— 2.1 -2.9 
			 50–249 1,880 1,835 1,745 (8)— -2.4 -4.9 
			 250–499 220 240 240 (8)— 9.1 0.0 
			 500 plus 215 225 215 (8)— 4.7 -4.4 
			
			 England   
			 0–49 3,214,530 3,151,795 3,188,125 (8)— -2.0 1.2 
			 50–249 22,540 21,750 20,680 (8)— -3.5 -4.9 
			 250–499 2,985 2,955 2,810 (8)— -1.0 -4.9 
			 500 plus 3,170 3,175 3,140 (8)— 0.2 -1.1 
			
			 Wales   
			 0–49 156,980 152,225 143,080 (8)— -3.0 -6.0 
			 50–249 910 890 845 (8)— -2.2 -5.1 
			 250–499 125 125 115 (8)— 0.0 -8.0 
			 500 plus 90 95 95 (8)— 5.6 0.0 
			
			 Scotland   
			 0–49 241,480 244,595 231,040 (8)— 1.3 -5.5 
			 50–249 2,020 2,005 1,935 (8)— -0.7 -3.5 
			 250–499 240 235 220 (8)— -2.1 -6.4 
			 500 plus 255 260 240 (8)— 2.0 -7.7 
			
			  Northern Ireland
			 0–49 83,730 82,470 83,785 (8)— -1.5 1.6 
			 50–249 700 760 720 (8)— 8.6 -5.3 
			 250–499 60 80 75 (8)— 33.3 -6.3 
			 500 plus 45 45 40 (8)— 0.0 -11.1 
		
	
	(8) Not available
	Source:
	SME statistics for the UK 1997, 1998 and 1999

Exports

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate for each of the last five years and provide forecasts where available for the next two years, the value of exported goods by nation and region of the UK and for the UK in total.

Nigel Griffiths: Statistics on UK trade in goods, analysed by nation and region of the UK, are available from 1999 onwards only. The available information is given in the table:
	
		Value of Exports -- £ million
		
			  Region 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Eastern 15,511 18,497 
			 East Midlands 10,134 10,484 
			 London 20,553 23,668 
			 North East 5,668 6,797 
			 North West 10,722 12,574 
			 South East 23,865 27,717 
			 South West 8,168 9,623 
			 West Midlands 12,170 12,857 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 7,634 8,714 
			 England 114,425 130,931 
			 Northern Ireland 2,731 3,315 
			 Scotland 15,649 18,221 
			 Wales 5,918 6,416 
			  
			 Total 138,723 158,883 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise News Release 01–2002, 17 January 2002
	The Department does not make forecasts for regional exports.

Telecommunications (Liabilities)

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies granted a licence under section 10 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 have complied with the requirement under Condition 16 of Schedule 4 of their licence to have satisfied the Director General of Oftel that they have sufficient funds secured to meet any liabilities arising from their activities.

Douglas Alexander: Two operators, Orange and Vodafone, have satisfied the Director in accordance with condition 16 of their licences. Discussions are taking place between Oftel and two further operators, Energis and Telewest.
	In order to improve this position and to reflect changes in the industry since the original Condition 16 arrangements were established, the Director General has had detailed discussions with both the industry and the Highway Authorities and has now completed a public consultation on proposals to change these arrangements. He hopes to commence a second public consultation shortly on a proposal for a new approach which will be easier to implement and should prove to be less costly for the companies concerned.

Postal Services

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the implications are for postal services of the judgment in Consignia plc v. Hays plc; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I understand that this matter is still before the courts. It would therefore be inappropriate to make a statement at this time. If the final decision in this case has important implications for postal services these will need to be considered in the first instance by Postcomm.

Postal Services

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government will take to safeguard the future of postal services in rural areas.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 29 January 2002
	Under the Postal Services Act 2000 the postal regulator the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm) has the primary duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service. The obligation consists of a service provided at an affordable price determined by a public tariff uniform throughout the UK and includes the delivery each working day to the home or premises of every individual in the UK and a collection each working day from access points.
	Subject to this primary responsibility Postcomm is also under a duty to exercise its functions in the manner which it considers is best calculated to further the interests of users of postal services, wherever appropriate by promoting effective competition between postal operators. In performing this secondary duty Postcomm shall have regard to the interests of, amongst others, individuals residing in rural areas.
	Currently Postcomm requires Consignia plc, in the licence to provide a universal postal service. Subject to Consignia's universal service obligations, the number and timing of deliveries is an operational issue for Consignia.

Broadband

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether the Broadband Fund has received clearance from the European Commission as required by the state aid regulations;
	(2)  what (a) technical support and (b) state aid regulations compliance support is being provided to the South West Regional Development Agency by her Department to assist them in the construction of their policy for broadband deployment in the South West.

Douglas Alexander: Although the Broadband Fund has not been notified to the European Commission, any expenditure therefrom, to the extent that it amounts to state aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty, will have to be in conformity with the block exemption regulations or alternatively notified to, and approved by, the Commission.
	The responsibilities of an RDA Accounting Officer encompass ensuring compliance with the EC rules on state aids. Advice and guidance on compliance is available to all public sector bodies from the State Aid Policy Unit in the Department. In particular, this Unit publishes "European Community State Aids—Guidance for All Departments and Agencies".
	All projects under the UK Broadband Fund have been developed in consultation with DTI officials, although use of funds is a matter for SWRDA.

Road Bridges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Ministers in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to ensure that contractors accessing pylons under construction are not endangering road bridges over railways.

Brian Wilson: I have had no such discussions.

Sellafield

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how much caesium-147 is stored in above-ground tanks at the BNFL reprocessing plant at Sellafield;
	(2)  when the tanks used to store high-level radioactive waste at the BNFL B215 facility at Sellafield were constructed; and what projections were made regarding their useful and safe lifespan at the time of construction;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on arrangements for the storage of high-level radioactive waste at the BNFL B215 facility at Sellafield.

Brian Wilson: The liquid high-level radioactive waste (Highly Active Liquid (HAL)) held at the B215 facility at Sellafield contains essentially all the radioactive isotopes produced in a nuclear reactor. This includes caesium 137 which is estimated to account for approximately a quarter of the total activity contained in the HAL. The total amount of HAL kept in the highly active storage tanks at any one time is related primarily to (1) the total amount of HAL arising from spent fuel reprocessed at Sellafield and (2) the amount of HAL that is converted from liquid form into vitrified form (solid glass blocks).
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a number of detailed reports by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) on the safety of storage of liquid high level waste (HLW) at Sellafield. The report published by HSE in February 2000 assesses the key safety issues associated with HLW storage at Sellafield and the actions to be taken to reduce the stocks of liquid waste contained in the tanks to buffer volumes by the agreed target date of 2015. This report and an addendum to it that was published by HSE in August 2001 are in the Libraries of the House. The February 2000 report includes at appendix B a detailed outline of the history of HLW storage at Sellafield. From this it can be seen that the first eight tanks at B215 were commissioned in 1955 with a further 13 commissioned during the period between 1970 and 1990.
	There is no projected design lifespan for the highly active storage tanks. BNFL and HSE monitor them carefully to ensure that no factors have arisen that might affect their continued safe operation. To ensure defence in-depth for the continued safe operation of the HASTs, the NII continues to require BNFL to maintain one in four of the tanks in reserve as spares.

Sellafield

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations her Department has received concerning the adequacy of current security provision at BNFL's B215 facility at Sellafield, with particular reference to waste storage containers.

Brian Wilson: I responded on 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 541W to a question on this matter from my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) and the Minister for Industry and Energy responded to a question from the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 511W which concerned intermediate and high level nuclear waste storage facilities. There have also been a number of letters from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents including references to high level waste storage at Sellafield as well as a few letters received direct from the public and one from the Isle of Man Government received in January through the Lord Chancellor's Department.

Statutory Social and Environmental Guidelines

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department will issue the statutory social and environmental guidelines to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority.

Brian Wilson: The Department is looking afresh at the draft social and environmental guidance in the light of the Energy Review report published on 14 February by the Performance and Innovation Unit. The report has implications for the guidance, and will need to be considered carefully. Once that process has been undertaken, we will be in a better position to assess the timing for issue of the guidance.

CHP

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that the Government's CHP target is reflected in her Department's aims and objectives with particular reference to guidelines on sustainable development; and when she plans to issue them to the non-Ministerial Government departments for which she is responsible.

Brian Wilson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February 2001 to PQ No. 35387.

Construction Industry Certification Scheme

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will encourage the Construction Industry Certification Scheme to recognise the Rolo Scheme launched by the British Association of Landscape Industries;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the Construction Industry Certification Scheme following their refusal to recognise the Registration of Landbased Operatives Scheme launched by the British Association of Landscape Industries.

Brian Wilson: It is the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and not the Construction Industry Certification Scheme to which I believe the hon. Gentleman is referring. There has been no ministerial contact with the Chairman of CSCS following their refusal to permit the affiliation of the registration of Landbased Operatives Scheme (ROLO) launched by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI). Both BALI and CSCS are independent organisations. CSCS has set down affiliation criteria which the ROLO scheme has not satisfied. It would however, be inappropriate for Government to intervene in this matter. However, as Minister for construction, I welcome all initiatives which seek to improve skills competence, training and health and safety.

Developing Countries

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when and in what format the results of the work by the World Bank on the effects of services liberalisation on developing countries, funded by her Department, will be made available.

Patricia Hewitt: World Bank work in this area is being supported with funding by the Department for International Development. The work undertaken as part of the project is continually updated on the World Bank website www.wto.org.

Developing Countries

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of TRIPs royalties on developing countries' debt repayments.

Patricia Hewitt: Any royalties or licence fees paid in developing countries in respect of intellectual property rights would be commercial matters between private parties and as such should not directly impact on debt repayment by national governments.

GATS

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Article VI of the GATS will apply to all service sectors.

Patricia Hewitt: This is one of the issues to be resolved in the current WTO services negotiations.

GATS

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations her Department has made to WTO members on the drafting of a clarification of the GATS exclusion of public services.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department has met a number of WTO members informally on this issue. In principle the Government are open to clarification of this provision if it can be achieved without creating new areas of uncertainty.

Domestic Subsidies

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the export and trade-distorting domestic subsidies that were discussed at the Doha ministerial meeting on trade of November 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: The reference to export and trade- distorting subsidies can be found in the section of the 5th Ministerial Declaration relating to Agriculture. Without prejudging the outcome, member Governments have committed themselves to comprehensive negotiations aimed at the reduction, with a view to phasing out, all forms of exports subsidies for agriculture and substantial reductions for domestic supports in agriculture that distort trade.
	It was also agreed at the WTO 5th ministerial meeting in Doha to proceed with negotiations on fisheries subsidies and aimed at clarifying and improving disciplines under the Agreements on Implementation of Art VI GATT and Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.

WTO

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the mechanisms by which the agreement that the WTO Special and Differential Treatment system should become a more integral part of trade negotiations, reached at the Doha Ministerial meeting on trade of November 2001, will be implemented.

Patricia Hewitt: The 'Decision on Implementation Related Issues and Concerns', agreed at Doha, instructed the WTO Committee on Trade and Development to consider the status and effective operation of existing Special and Differential Treatment provisions and to report to the General Council with clear recommendations for a Decision by July 2002 and, within the context of the work programme agreed at Doha, to consider how Special and Differential Treatment may be incorporated into the architecture of WTO rules. Discussions in the Committee on Trade and Development are ongoing.
	As set out in the White Paper, 'Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor', we will be arguing for the EU to support approaches that recognise even more explicitly than at present that WTO Members are at different stages of development.

WTO

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the steps necessary for the WTO to be more transparent and open and its rules easier to understand.

Patricia Hewitt: The Doha Ministerial Declaration, agreed by all members of the WTO in November 2001, recognised the challenges posed by an expanding membership, and confirmed the need to ensure internal transparency within the organisation and the effective participation of all members in the decision making process. Members also committed themselves to making the WTO's operations more transparent to outside parties, including through better dissemination of information and improved dialogue with the public.
	I support the need for such measures in order to maintain confidence in the multilateral trading system.

Offshore Wind Farms (Fishing)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the safety implications for (a) vessels and (b) wind turbines, of fishing within an offshore wind farm; and if she will impose exclusion zones.

Brian Wilson: I have not undertaken a broad safety assessment in relation to windfarms and fishing interests as the implications will vary from site to site. Safety will be a matter that I and other regulators will look at carefully when considering specific proposals which may include exclusion zones, and will of course also be a key consideration by the developers themselves.

Unified Science Strategy

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will establish a unified science strategy for the UK.

Patricia Hewitt: The Science and Innovation White Paper—"Excellence and Opportunity: A science and innovation policy for the 21st century"—was published in July 2000. It set out the Government's strategy for building on the UK's record of scientific excellence, and for ensuring that the outputs from scientific research are harnessed in innovative products and services that will yield economic and social benefits for the people of the UK.
	One of the commitments in the White Paper was that each Government Department should publish a science and innovation strategy setting out the broad framework within which science and technology are used to meet its policy objectives. These science and innovation strategies, with complementary material from the Research Councils and the devolved Administrations, were the theme for "The Forward Look 2001 of Government-funded science, engineering and technology", published in December 2001, which provides an overview of the Government's approach to the use of science and technology and priorities for expenditure.
	The Government have also established a new Cabinet Ministerial Committee on Science Policy, which I chair, to look across the board at the Government's policies in relation to scientific advances and the public's acceptance of them.

RRS Darwin

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to replace the RRS Darwin; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Following approval by the Natural Environment Research Council of the science and business cases for the replacement of the RRS Charles Darwin, the project will be considered, alongside other research spending priorities, in the context of the present spending review. It is anticipated that the procurement of the new ship would take approximately four years.

Queen Elizabeth's Foundation

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations she has received on the planned closure of the Bradmere house factory in Leatherhead by the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the reasons for the changes in Government funding for the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	We have been in contact with representatives of the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation and have asked to be kept informed of the progress of the consultation they are conducting regarding the future of the Bradmere house factory. We intend to work with the Foundation to consider all the options for securing the future employment of the disabled people who work at the factory.
	The funding arrangements for residential training contracts changed from advance to arrears payments in April 2000. This change was made to bring the funding arrangements in line with Government accounting procedures, which require all activities funded through contracts to be paid in arrears. The system for the arrears payment is much simpler and providers were expected to be able save on administration costs.
	All residential training providers were informed of this change in writing in January 2000 and arrangements were made for advance payments to be reconciled by June 2000. The introduction of the change was staggered through the first quarter of the financial year 2000–01 to ease any short-term difficulties.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Women's Unit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Minister for Women what budgetary provision there is for the current financial year for the cost of the Women and Equality Unit.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The budget for the Women's Unit at the start of the year, on 1 April 2001 was £2.2 million.
	Following the general election, in June 2001, the budget increased to £11.4 million when the unit took on new responsibilities for gender equality, co-ordination of sexual orientation policy and sponsorship of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

DEFENCE

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the departmental expenditure limits for 2001–02.

Adam Ingram: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the Ministry of Defence Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £813,795,000 from £23,876,578,000 to £24,690,373,000. Within the Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 Resources  
			 Change 663,096 
			 New DEL 19,034,434 
			 of which:  
			 Voted 18,733,640 
			 Non-voted 300,794 
			   
			 Capital  
			 Change 150,699 
			 New DEL 5,655,939 
			 of which:  
			 Voted 5,596,969 
			 Non-voted 58,970 
		
	
	The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from:
	An increase of £356,761,000 for conflict prevention activities in Bosnia, Kosovo, the Gulf, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.
	Transfers of £261,594,000 from capital to resource DEL.
	A transfer from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions of £3,435,000 for royal travel.
	A transfer from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £1,154,000 for the British Defence Staff in Washington.
	A transfer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £125,000 for an increase in the MOD's contribution to the running costs on Ascension Island.
	A transfer from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £12,045,000 for conflict prevention activities.
	A transfer from the Department for International Development of £3,500,000 for conflict prevention activities.
	An increase in cash release from provisions of £25,400,000.
	The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from:
	An increase of £47,766,000 for urgent operational requirements for conflict prevention activities.
	An increase of £305,927,000, which is in partial anticipation of a successful PPP for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.
	A bringing forward from FY 2003–04 of £97,400,000 for the Defence Logistic Organisation Business Change Programme.
	A reduction of £38,800,000 in trading fund capital expenditure as a result of the vesting of QinetiQ as a self-financing public corporation on 1 July 2001.
	Transfers to resource DEL of £261,594,000.
	The increase will be offset by inter-department transfers and charges to the DEL reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
	The total amount included in spring supplementary estimates for the UK military commitment in Afghanistan is £261,000,000 (Resource DEL £195,000,000, Capital DEL £57,000,000 and Annually Managed Expenditure £9,000,000). This figure includes the cost of munitions consumed and represents the total estimated additional cost of operations in 2001–02 over and above the cost of planned activities.

Terrorism

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government have made available to his Department for urgent operational requirements for the campaign against international terrorism.

Adam Ingram: I am pleased to announce that the Treasury has agreed to make available from the Reserve a further £55 million for urgent operational requirements for the campaign against international terrorism. This is in addition to the £100 million that the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 27 November 2001 in his pre-Budget report.
	The urgent operational requirements that this funding allows us to meet include: equipment to improve our ability to work with the US and other allies, such as additional secure communications equipment; enhancements to our intelligence capabilities; and a range of small but significant enhancements to our forces for operations in the campaign against international terrorism.

Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library an unclassified summary of the report of the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme.

Geoff Hoon: I have done so.

Defence Bills Agency

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 2002–03.

Lewis Moonie: Targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 2002–03 in accordance with the agency's Service Level Agreement with the Ministry of Defence. The key targets build on the already high standards of service provided by the agency since its formation in 1996 and are as follows:
	(a) To make a progressive reduction in the unit costs of output for bills and invoices of 10 per cent. and 5 per cent. respectively by March 2003 over the target set for 2001–02.
	(b) Produce accounting and financial information to the ISO 9001–2000 quality standard and to the times set out at Annexes B and C of the Service Level Agreement.
	(c) To pay 100 per cent. of correctly presented bills within 11 calendar days of receipt as part of the Department's 30-day payment target.
	(d) To raise 97 per cent. of invoices accurately within four days of receipt of a correctly authorised claimable document.
	(e) Within the permitted tolerances, meet the performance targets prescribed at Annexe B of the Service Level Agreement.
	(f) To make a progressive improvement of at least 1 per cent. in the overall level of customer satisfaction over the target set for 2001–02.

Skynet 5 Programme

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the Skynet 5 programme.

Lewis Moonie: I am delighted to announce that Paradigm has today been selected as the preferred bidder for the Skynet 5 project. This is the largest Ministry of Defence Private Finance Initiative project to have reached the preferred bidder stage, and will deliver the next generation of satellite communications services for Britain's armed forces. The Skynet 5 solution will be based on a constellation of at least two satellites, which will be owned and operated by Paradigm. We expect to place a contract with Paradigm later this year, with an initial service being provided from 2005. In preparation for this, Paradigm will take over responsibility in 2003 for the existing Skynet 4 capability. The PFI approach offers significantly better value for money when compared to the whole life costs of a conventional acquisition. The Skynet 5 project will provide UK industry with valuable high technology work, and we expect that around 1,500 jobs will be created or sustained.

Service Accommodation

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters in each grade 
	(1)  in the UK are available to the Defence Housing Executive; and how many service families are entitled to quarters in each grade;
	(2)  overseas are available to the Defence Housing Executive; and how many service families are entitled to quarters in each grade.

Lewis Moonie: Married personnel in the armed forces are entitled to a quarter. The type of quarter (i.e. its size, design and number of rooms) to which a married service person is entitled is determined mainly by rank for officers and mainly by family size for other ranks. Family housing in mainland UK is managed by the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) whereas that in Northern Ireland and overseas is managed by the relevant service authorities. A breakdown by Type of the family housing stock is shown in the table.
	Figures for numbers of entitled service families are not readily available in the form requested. However, many personnel do not take up their entitlement to family housing, preferring to buy their own. The DHE does not normally house entitled personnel in houses of a type below their entitlement: instead, additional houses are rented by the Ministry of Defence on an ad hoc basis where necessary to meet entitlement.
	
		
			  Officers Other Ranks  
			 Type I(9) II III IV V Total D(9) C B A Total Grand Total 
		
		
			 UK Mainland 69 370 1,920 3,949 5,119 11,427 3,640 25,530 13,897 — 43,067 54,494 
			 Northern Ireland 1 20 69 124 207 421 207 1,751 851 14 2,823 3,244 
			 Gibraltar 0 4 13 54 67 138 0 195 227 39 461 599 
			 Falkland Island(10) — — — — — — — — — — — 36 
			 Germany(11) 7 11 514 1,223 990 2,745 805 571 4,777 78 6,231 8,976 
			 Cyprus(11) 1 4 67 172 256 500 40 203 653 — 896 1,396 
			 Belize — — — 3 4 7 — 14 — — 14 21 
			 Brunei(10),(11) — — — — — 24 — — — — 425 449 
			 Canada(11) — — 1 1 1 3 9 65 57 — 131 134 
			 Total 9 39 664 1,577 1,525 3,838 1,061 2,799 6,565 131 10,981 14,855 
		
	
	(9) Largest
	(10) Not assessed by type
	(11) Includes hirings

Service Accommodation

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure earmarked for single living accommodation maintenance was diverted to high priority items in the last financial year.

Lewis Moonie: Responsibility for the allocation of maintenance expenditure is delegated to top level budget holders, though they are guided by the high priority we attach to improving single living accommodation, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence in March last year. The nature of property maintenance expenditure means that it is difficult in practice to attribute it precisely between single living accommodation and other areas. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Service Attributable Pensions

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many Army service personnel have been granted service attributable pensions under the armed forces pension scheme since 1973;
	(2)  how many Army (a) war disablement pensions and (b) service attributable pensions were correctly treated for tax purposes since (i) 1973 and (ii) the earliest point for which he has recently examined the records;
	(3)  how many service personnel records remain to be examined in the effort to identify Army (a) war disablement pensions and (b) service attributable pensions which have been incorrectly treated for tax purposes;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of identified cases where tax has been incorrectly deducted from war disablement pensions and service attributable pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 12 February 2002
	War Disablement Pensions (WDP) were recognised as being tax-free both before 1973 and since. As WDPs are exempt from tax, the War Pensions Agency has no mechanism to deduct tax and no record of any deductions. There may have been occasional individual problems with regard to tax affecting WDPs but we are aware of none.
	We would need to conduct a manual search of current and closed pension files in order to identify the number of Army Service Attributable Pensions (SAP) correctly treated for tax purposes since 1973. The current problem has arisen principally with respect to Service Invaliding Pensions (SIP). It is possible, however, that in a small number of Army cases an error may have arisen for SAPs in those cases where the scheme rules require the SAP to be paid at the SIP rate where the latter is higher. This is because the pension will have been recorded as a SIP within our computer systems and Inland Revenue may have been advised of eligibility for tax on that basis.
	The number of SIP cases identified as a result of our review of the some 20,000 relevant live Army pension files, following recognition of the error in 1998, is as set out.
	
		
			  Pre-1973 Post-1973 Totals 
		
		
			 Pensioners 182 795 977 
			 Widow(er)s 24 2 26 
			 Estates nil nil nil 
			 Totals 206 797 1,003 
		
	
	We do not consider it practicable to conduct a search of the very large number of Army pension files where the recipient is now deceased. We are in the process of conducting a sample search of those files dating from the 1940s where we have been able to establish that a SIP might have been in payment and might therefore have been incorrectly taxed. This work should be completed shortly and should provide a clearer perspective on the scope of the problem. It has not so far proved practicable to, similarly, identify 'at risk' cases before this period.
	For those cases where the pensioner is deceased, as well as for any other cases where a pensioner or spouse considers that his/her pension was incorrectly taxed, we have invited claims support by basic service identification. We will consider these claims as quickly as possible.
	We expect the numbers of outstanding cases where SIPs/SAPs were wrongly taxed to be small as, to qualify for such a pension, personnel had to serve 14 years before 1945, 12 years before 1973 and 5 years before 1988. This would exclude those who only served as conscripts, volunteers or national servicemen, as well as many regulars.

Unmanned Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what involvement his Department has had with the development of unmanned aircraft; with which partner countries; how much has been spent in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Phoenix system, the Ministry of Defence only in-service unmanned air vehicle (UAV), entered service in 1998. Development of future UAV capability is being pursued through two projects: "Watchkeeper", which is planned to deliver a tactical UAV towards the end of this decade; and the Future Offensive Air System (FOAS) programme, where we are assessing the feasiblity of UAVs contributing to our future strike capability from about 2020 onwards.
	The MOD's expenditure on UAV development over the last three years was approximately £9 million in 1999–2000, £17 million in 2000–01, and £18 million in 2001–02. This does not include the cost of broader-based research, which could bring benefit in due course to a range of capability areas including UAVs.
	To date, our UAV development work has been conducted on a national basis. However, we have recently initiated information exchanges with the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Australia in order to support our mutual interests in UAV development, acquisition, and operation.

Unmanned Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the (a) organic air vehicle and (b) micro air vehicle development in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I assume the hon. Member is referring to unmanned aerial vehicles and that the term organic air vehicles relates to small UAVs developed as an integral part of a military platform. Against this common understanding, there has been no expenditure by the Ministry of Defence specifically on the development of organic or micro air vehicles in the last three years. There are elements of the research programme that may in the longer term prove applicable to organic or micro air vehicles but no specific apportionment of expenditure is possible.

Private Military Companies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many private military companies have been employed by the Government since 1997; and in what capacity.

Adam Ingram: Ministry of Defence records do not separately identify contracts with "private military companies". As the Command Paper "Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation" published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 12 February makes clear, the term "private military company" covers a wide range of people, corporations and activities. The MOD has and continues to seek the involvement of private sector companies who can provide assistance with military support activities, for example maintenance and training. Types of activity where the MOD is involving the private sector in public-private partnerships were listed in my answer to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on 7 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1082–84W.

Armed Forces Personnel (Northern Ireland)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers there were in Northern Ireland, excluding those troops under the command of the GOC NI that were based in Great Britain, at 31 December in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: The number of armed forces personnel (Army, Navy and RAF), under the command of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland (GOC NI), stationed in Northern Ireland for the last five years are set out in the table:
	
		
			 As at 31 December Number of armed force personnel 
		
		
			 1997 16,082 
			 1998 14,983 
			 1999 14,319 
			 2000 13,763 
			 2001 13,595 
		
	
	As already explained on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 995W, the GOC NI also has under his command troops that are rear based in Great Britain that can be called forward to the Province as and when required. In addition other troops can be made available to the GOC NI from Land Command if required, for example during the marching season.

Missiles

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) ASRAAM, (b) Storm Shadow and (c) Brimstone missiles will be available for operational service.

Lewis Moonie: ASRAAM is in service and is available for use now if need but safety, training, integration and other clearance activities mean that we are unlikely to deploy the missile before this summer.

Missiles

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to purchase upgraded Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US Administration.

Lewis Moonie: The United Kingdom has already purchased some remanufactured Tomahawk land attack missiles to replace those used during the Kosovo campaign. A contract for a further purchase has recently been signed. No decision has yet been taken on whether the UK should purchase the next generation, Tactical Tomahawk, missile.

Eurofighter

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the RAF will take delivery of its Eurofighter aircraft.

Lewis Moonie: The RAF is expecting to receive its first Eurofighter aircraft in June this year. Given the inherent risks in a programme of this size and complexity, we have sought confirmation from industry that the programme remains achievable.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects training of pilots and ground crew to fly and service the Eurofighter to begin; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: On current plans ground crew training will begin in September 2002. Aircrew ground-based training will commence in May 2002. Flying training in Eurofighter will commence when aircraft are available. Deliveries are due to commence in June but we recognise the risks to this date and our planning is sufficiently flexible to accommodate delay if necessary.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated final cost is of the 232 Eurofighters that have been ordered; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The estimated final cost of the Eurofighter procurement programme for the Royal Air Force, based on 232 aircraft, is £18,869 million. This figure excludes initial in-service support. Fifty-five aircraft have so far been ordered for the RAF. Detailed costings are provided in the National Audit Office's Major Project Report 2001, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is being withheld on the Eurofighter contract; when his Department expects the money to be released to the contractor; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Payments on Eurofighter contracts are made when milestones are achieved. Some milestones are overdue, but the value of payments relating to those milestones is commercially sensitive. Therefore, I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information that relates to third party commercial confidences.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Eurofighter programme agreed milestones, from development to in-service at full squadron strength; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The main development contracts were placed in 1988 and the first development aircraft flight took place in 1994. In 1995, the contracts were re-orientated following the end of the Cold War, and the production contracts were awarded in 1998. The next major milestone will be the first flight of an instrumented production aircraft, trials of which will permit acceptance into service of series production aircraft. Royal Air Force Eurofighters will initially operate from the BAES site at Warton before the first squadron forms at RAF Coningsby in 2004. Full operational capability is expected to be achieved during the second half of the decade.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Ministers were first informed of problems relating to foreign suppliers with regard to the Eurofighter programme; what action was taken; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Eurofighter is a collaborative project involving many companies from all four partner nations. The Eurofighter prime contracts are with international industrial consortiums based in Germany. In working with the prime contractors to resolve problems we do not distinguish between UK and non-UK suppliers.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the contract penalties to the prime contractor are relating to the missing of development and contractual milestones in respect of the Eurofighter programme; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Eurofighter contract payments are subject to the achievement of milestones, and liquidated damages apply if aircraft deliveries are delayed. The amounts involved are commercially sensitive and I am withholdng this information in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information that relates to third party commercial confidences.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans he has made in the event that the Eurofighter programme is delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Eurofighter is not expected to begin displacing existing front line aircraft for some time. If the build-up of Eurofighter capability is delayed, there is scope for existing aircraft to continue in service.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefings by his Department's staff have been given to hon. Members on the Eurofighter programme in the last six months; which hon. Members have been sent briefings; when the briefings were sent out; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The hon. Members for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) and for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray) received oral briefings as part of a visit to the Royal Air Force at High Wycombe on 13 December 2001. The briefings were wide ranging and included references to Eurofighter.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when his Department was first informed of delays to the Eurofighter programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what ministerial action was taken once his Department was informed of the delays to the Eurofighter programme; when it was taken; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The prime contractors have not formally advised the Ministry of Defence that delivery of the first Eurofighter to the Royal Air Force will be delayed. Nevertheless, we know through our continuous monitoring of industry's progress that achieving the June in-service date is becoming increasingly challenging. The risk of delay is not unusual in a project of this size and complexity, but we have made it clear that we expect the prime contractors to take all necessary action to mitigate this risk.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to his Department of expenditure on the Eurofighter programme has been to date; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Expenditure to the end of January 2002 totalled £6,300 million.

Eurofighter

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what variations have been made since the contract for the Eurofighter programme was first signed; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: There have been no significant variations to the Eurofighter aircraft specification or contracts since re-orientation of the programme in 1995 to take account of the changed strategic context following the end of the cold war.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if BAE Systems face penalty payments in connection with the Eurofighter programme.

Lewis Moonie: The prime contract for Eurofighter, which is with Eurofighter GmbH of which BAE Systems own 33 per cent., includes provision for liquidated damages to be paid in the event that deliveries are delayed. In addition, payments on the contract are made only when milestones and deliveries are achieved.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what arrangements will be followed to introduce the Eurofighter into RAF service; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the timetable of events which will lead to the introduction into service of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Lewis Moonie: Instrumented production aircraft flights, which provide technical information on performance and safety, are expected to commence in March and will allow the first series production aircraft to be accepted and operated by the Royal Air Force. Arrangements for the introduction to service include the setting up of facilities at BAES's Warton site to support operation of the aircraft during its initial months in service, and the establishment of a Royal Air Force unit at Warton for initial training and operational evaluation. Thereafter, Royal Air Force units will be established at Coningsby in 2004, followed by Leeming and Leuchars. Full operational employment of the aircraft is planned to take place during the second half of the decade.

Eurofighter

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if the projected in-service dates for the Eurofighter will be achieved;
	(2)  if he expects delays to the in-service date for the Eurofighter; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Industry is working hard to achieve the June 2002 delivery date called for in the contract, and we continue to emphasise its importance. Nevertheless, we know through our continuous monitoring of industry's progress that achieving the June in-service date is becoming increasingly challenging.

Eurofighter

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the cost of Eurofighter has increased; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I refer my hon. Friend to the detailed explanation of cost changes on the Eurofighter programme that was included in the National Audit Office's Major Project Report 2001, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fair Trade Goods

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 13W, on Fair Trade goods, if he will increase the amount of fairly traded goods used in his Department.

Lewis Moonie: My answer of 19 November remains extant because EU rules dictate that we seek the best price in the open market, consistent with our quality standard. If Fair Trade goods meet the necessary criteria, they will be considered in competition with similar products from other countries.

Type 45 Destroyer

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the armament of the Type 45 Destroyer will be; and what plans there are for a land attack capability for surface warships.

Lewis Moonie: With reference to the Type 45's armament, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 April 2001, Official Report, column 232W to the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies).
	We are considering whether a contribution to land attack capability is required from the Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer (which might be provided through a larger calibre gun or land attack missiles), and in the longer term from the Future Surface Combatant. This is in the context of the land attack capability of our submarines, and the marked increase in maritime offensive air power planned with the introduction of the Future Aircraft Carrier and Future Joint Combat Aircraft.

RAF Chilmark

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of (a) decontamination and (b) other identified works at the site of former RAF Chilmark.

Lewis Moonie: The cost of clearing explosive ordnance over five years since the closure of the former RAF Chilmark is approximately £1.7 million. The average annual cost of providing maintenance works and upkeep to those parts of the former RAF Chilmark still owned by the Ministry of Defence is £100,000.

Directed Energy Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation has been made of directed energy weapons; what joint studies on the development of such weapons have taken place; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The importance of utilising technology to create battle winning forces is a key theme of the Strategic Defence Review. Directed Energy Technology offers a potentially significant military enhancement to our forces but it is just one area of technology development currently being assessed.
	This assessment is taking place within the boundaries laid down by conventions and international law.
	The MOD investigate Directed Energy Weapons in order to identify potential technologies that may meet joint capability requirements. Details of programmes are classified and I am therefore withholding disclosure of this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Floor Covering Contracts (Military Installations)

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tendering process was employed prior to the award of contracts to supply floor coverings to military facilities with effect from the end of 2001.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has used OGCbuying.solutions as its contracting agent for a range of stores including floor coverings since 1991. OGCbuying.solutions (formerly The Buying Agency) awards all its contracts on the basis of rigorous competitive tendering which is compliant with legislative requirements, fitness for purpose, defined performance standards and best value for money.

Floor Covering Contracts (Military Installations)

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason a single contract for the provision of carpeting to all military installations in the United Kingdom and overseas was awarded.

Lewis Moonie: There is no single contract for the provision of carpeting to all military installations in the UK and overseas.

Future Command and Liaison Vehicle

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in introducing the Army's Future Command and Liaison Vehicle; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Future Command and Liaison Vehicle is in its assessment phase. Work is continuing, in conjunction with industry, to identify and reduce areas of risk, and to finalise the requirement. Once the trials are complete and the results have been assessed, we plan to issue an Invitation to Tender later this year.

Post-combat Trauma

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the paper published in the British Medical Journal of 8 February concerning post-conflict trauma.

Lewis Moonie: The paper "Post-combat Syndromes from the Boer War to the Gulf War: A Cluster Analysis of their Nature and Attribution" is a valuable contribution to understanding post-combat health. The researchers concluded that all modern conflicts have been associated with post-combat disorders characterised by unexplained medical symptoms and that the form that these assume, the terms used to describe them and the explanations offered, seem to be influenced by advances in medical science, changes in the nature of warfare and underlying cultural forces. These findings will be taken into account as we continue to evolve our policies, procedures and practices for managing health issues in the armed forces.

Heavy Lift Aircraft

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether heavy lift aircraft in use by the RAF are equipped with defensive aids and counter measures; and whether he intends that heavy lift aircraft (a) leased and (b) purchased for the RAF in future programmes will be equipped with defensive aids and counter measures.

Adam Ingram: Aircraft are equipped with a defensive capability commensurate with the assessed level of threat of the environment in which they are expected to operate. However, disclosure of detailed information about the defensive capabilities of aircraft would be operationally sensitive. I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to national security and defence.

Territorial Army (Scotland)

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army reside in Scotland; and what the equivalent figure was in each of the last five years.

Lewis Moonie: The number of Territorial Army personnel currently residing in Scotland as at 1 January 2002 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Officers Soldiers Total 
		
		
			 565 4,178 4,743 
		
	
	I regret that the Ministry of Defence does not hold equivalent historical data in the form required by the hon. Member.

Low Flying (Wind Farms)

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions his Department was notified of wind-power developments proposed within low-flying training areas; and on how many occasions his Department (a) took no action and (b) prevented the proposal proceeding in the last five years.

Lewis Moonie: During the last five years the Ministry of Defence have been consulted on a total of 44 windfarm proposals within tactical training areas (where military fast jet and Hercules transport aircraft may fly down to 100 ft minimum separation distance from the ground or any other object). A full appraisal has always been carried out on each proposal. Of the 44 proposals submitted we have had no objections to 10 and have objected to 34.

Firing Range Safety

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the minimum safe distance between a live firing range and a public road.

Adam Ingram: The minimum safe distance between a live firing range and a public road is determined by the type of live firing activity on the range.
	A safe distance between a live firing range and a public road is maintained by applying the appropriate danger area for the live firing activity and ensuring that any hazard is contained well within the range boundary. If there is a public road within a range boundary, it is closed to the public for the duration of any hazard caused by the live firing.

Surplus Equipment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what surplus military equipment the UK has (a) given and (b) sold at discount values to (i) Estonia and (ii) Slovenia in the last three years; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: No surplus military equipment has been given or sold at discount values by the United Kingdom to either Estonia or Slovenia during the past three years.

Faslane

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many police officers were deployed at Faslane on (a) 8, (b) 11, (c) 12 and (d) 13 February; and how many MOD Police officers have been deployed at the Faslane base in each of the last 12 months.

Lewis Moonie: I am withholding details of the number of Ministry of Defence Police officers deployed at HMNB Clyde in accordance with Exemption 1 (defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. I can confirm, however, that additional MDP officers were deployed on 11, 12 and 13 February 2002 at HMNB Clyde in response to planned demonstrator activity.

Inflight Refuelling Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to outsource the inflight refuelling services of the Royal Air Force; how many (a) aircraft and (b) service personnel are involved with that outsourcing; and which (i) companies and (ii) consortiums are involved in bidding for such services.

Lewis Moonie: The future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) is planned to replace our VC10 and TriStar air to air refuelling/air transport aircraft from around 2007. Two consortiums have submitted bids for this prospective PFI programme. They are AirTanker Ltd., comprising Rolls Royce, Cobham, Halliburton, EADS and Thales; and the Tanker Transport Service Company Ltd., which comprises BAE Systems, Boeing, Serco and Spectrum Capital. A mix of Regular RAF, Sponsored Reservist and civilian personnel are expected to operate and support the FSTA service. We are currently engaged in preliminary negotiations with both consortiums and expect to decide later this year whether PFI offers the best value for money and, if it does, which of the two consortiums is our preferred bidder. It is too early to say how many Service personnel and aircraft will be involved.

Offset Agreements

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many offset agreements have been negotiated in Government to Government defence export contracts and MOUs in the last three years; and what the total value of such offset arrangements is estimated to be in the last three years.

Lewis Moonie: No offset agreements have been negotiated in Government to Government defence exports contracts or Memorandums of Understanding in the last three years.

QinetiQ

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the United States companies purchased by QinetiQ; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Since its creation as a company on 1 July 2001, QinetiQ has not purchased any United States companies. However, QinetiQ did form a US subsidiary last year, QinetiQ, Inc, with the aim of enhancing the growth of QinetiQ's business with government and commercial customers in the US market. In addition, QinetiQ has recently re-formed a new US company, QinetiQ Trusted Information Management, Inc, as a wholly owned subsidiary of QinetiQ, Inc.

A400M

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings have been scheduled between Ministers in his Department and their German counterparts prior to 31 March in order to discuss the A400M strategic transport aircraft programme.

Lewis Moonie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has discussed this issue with his German counterpart on several occasions. No further meetings between Ministers are currently scheduled. Senior officials however are in regular contact with their counterparts in the other participating nations.

Chinook Helicopter Crash

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make a statement on the findings of the House of Lords Select Committee on the accident to RAF Chinook HC2 ZD576.

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to issue his response to the report of the House of Lords Committee inquiry into the Chinook helicopter crash in 1994.

Adam Ingram: Work is already under way to consider the findings of the Select Committee. When this is completed a formal response will be made to the Chairman of the Committee, Lord Jauncey, and to the House of Lords.

Deployments (Central and Eastern Europe)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) MOD staff and (b) non-military staff have been involved in deployments to (i) Estonia, (ii) Lithuania and (iii) Latvia in the last three years; at what cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many (a) MOD staff and (b) non-military MOD staff have been involved in deployments to (i) Albania, (ii) Romania and (iii) Slovenia in the last three years; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Numbers of military and Ministry of Defence civilian personnel deployed to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Albania and Romania during the last three years are given in the table. The figures for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 were previously published in MOD Performance Reports (Cm5000 Annexe G and Cm5920 Annexe H). They include members of visiting training and advisory teams and resident in-country advisers. The costs shown are approximate.
	
		
			  Military Cost £000 Civilian Cost £000 
		
		
			 1999–2000 
			 Estonia 13 87 1 18 
			 Lithuania 21 230 1 72 
			 Latvia 19 121 1 36 
			 Slovenia — — — — 
			 Albania — — — — 
			 Romania 6 404 1 72 
			  
			 2000–01 
			 Estonia 10 72 — — 
			 Lithuania 12 250 1 75 
			 Latvia 13 116 1 75 
			 Slovenia — — 1 75 
			 Albania — — — — 
			 Romania 2 230 1 75 
			  
			 2001–02 
			 Estonia 17 213 — — 
			 Lithuania 22 108 2 80 
			 Latvia 23 107 4 84 
			 Slovenia 1 2.5 2 80 
			 Albania — — — — 
			 Romania 2 240 1 78 
		
	
	These deployments form part of the Outreach programme in central and eastern Europe which, in turn, is part of the wider Defence Diplomacy mission. Outreach contributes to international stability by assisting countries in the region to establish democratically accountable, cost-effective armed forces capable of contributing both to national and regional security and, increasingly, to international security through participation in peace support operations.
	Not all personnel taking part in Outreach activities are captured in the annually published figures. The inclusion of personnel engaged in one-off, short duration activities would distort the overall picture.
	There are Defence Attachés in the British embassies in Latvia, Lithuania, Albania, Slovenia and Romania, each of which has a military assistant. They are not included in the statistics as their role is diplomatic, facilitating military assistance rather than providing it directly.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years.

Denis MacShane: The cost of external consultants was:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–1998 15.8 
			 1998–1999 14.5 
			 1999–2000 14.0 
			 2000–2001 17.9

Accountancy Contracts

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the (a) number and (b) value of contracts awarded by his Department to (i) Arthur Andersen, (ii) Deloitte Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in each year since 1997.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. D. Foster) on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 717–18W.

Arms Dealing (Mr. John Bredenkamp)

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has collated on the arms dealing activities of Mr. John Bredenkamp and companies associated with him in (a) Zimbabwe and (b) the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ben Bradshaw: We are aware of past arms dealing activities by Mr. Bredenkamp. If any person has any information about sanctions breaking, they should inform the relevant UK authorities. I am unable to provide the information requested by my hon. Friend under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on cases of work-related stress is not held and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. No compensation has been paid to employees as a result of work-related stress.
	As part of the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative, the FCO commissioned a stress audit by external consultants, who reported in 2001. An action plan was subsequently produced to implement the consultant's recommendations. Under the direction of an action group, management courses are now being redesigned to ensure that staff are better trained to recognise and deal with work-related stress; health promotion activities have been enhanced; and ways of improving existing access to confidential advice and support are being investigated. Since these activities form part of the ongoing work of the FCO's Administration, it is impossible to identify the costs involved separately.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the effect of the Working Time Directive on his Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps he is taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The FCO is committed to reducing the number of its employees working long hours. In order to balance this commitment with the requirements of running a round-the-clock business world-wide, we have concluded an agreement on Working Time with the Trades Unions representing our employees.

Secondments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and Civil Service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 12 February 2002
	We cannot divulge the exact details requested by the hon. Member without the permission of the seconding organisations. Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice to Government Information applies.
	However, since May 1997 there have been 63 members of the private sector seconded into the FCO, 46 of whom did so under the Short-Term Business Attachment Scheme (STBAS). These secondees have all been appointed into middle management range posts (i. e. DS5, D6, C4). As for most forms of interchange, departments have borne their own staff's salary costs. The duration of each of these appointments has varied, from six months to four years (with the exception of STBAS which have varied from 3–12 months). The figures can be further broken down as follows:
	
		
			 Staff seconded to the FCO from the private sector:  
		
		
			 April 1997–1998 17 
			 April 1998–1999 12 
			 April 1999–2000 17 
			 April 2000–2001 7 
			 April 2001—to date 10 
		
	
	As part of a wider Government initiative that promotes and encourages the exchange of people and good practice between the Public and Private sectors, British Trade International actively seeks interchange partners. Interchange is very flexible, offering a range of activities that allow people from different organisations to share good practice, ideas and experience. There are real personnel development benefits as well as a strong business case for this type of activity. Before an interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

Industrial Action

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

Ben Bradshaw: There has been no industrial action by staff in this department in the UK, or in the NDPBs for which it is responsible, over the last four years.

Statutory Instruments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating (a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals.

Jack Straw: A list of instruments issued or originated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the purpose of each instrument is attached. To provide an assessment would incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 S.I. title Number Purpose 
		
		
			 The Iraq (United Nations Sanctions) (Overseas Territories)(Amendment) 2001 2001/395 This instrument corrects an error in The Iraq (United Nations Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) 2000. 
			
			 The Afghanistan (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2001 2001/396 Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1333, which came into force on 19 January 2001. 
			
			 The United Nations (International Tribunals) (Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda) (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/412 To assist the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) in trying large numbers of accused within a reasonable time, by establishing a pool of "ad litem" judges in addition to the 14 permanent judges of the Tribunal. 
			
			 The Liberia (United Nations Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/946 The UN Security Council Resolution 1344 imposed sanctions against Liberia. This order gives effect in the Overseas Territories to the arms embargo and the ban on provision of related technical assistance and training. 
			
			 The Liberia (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2001 2001/947 The UN Security Council Resolution 1344 imposed sanctions against Liberia. This order gives effect to the arms embargo and the ban on provision of related technical assistance and training. 
			
			 Civil Aviation Act 1982 (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/1452 To allow for an increase in the penalties that may be imposed for offences under the air navigation legislation in the Overseas Territories and to allow for regulations to be made governing the investigation of aircraft accidents. It also makes consequential amendment to the Civil Aviation Act 1949 (Overseas Territories) Order 1969. 
			
			 The Liberia (United Nations Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) (No. 2) Order 2001 2001/1867 The order gives effect to the ban on the import of rough diamonds in the Overseas Territories. 
			
			 The Advisory Centre on WTO Law (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2001 2001/1868 This order confers the legal capacities of a body corporate on the Advisory Centre for WTO Law. This legal capacity is conferred in accordance with Article 10(1) of the agreement establishing the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (cm.4721). The order will enable Her Majesty's Government to give effect to Article 10(1) of the agreement, and will come into force on the date on which the agreement enters into force in respect of the United Kingdom. 
			
			 The International Criminal Court Act 2001 (Commencement) Order 2001 2001/2161 The ICC Act contains powers enabling orders to be made which supplement the provisions of the Act, which will allow secondary legislation to come into force on 1 September 2001. 
			
			 The Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/2128 Regulation of aviation activity in the Overseas Territories. 
			
			 The International Criminal Court Act 2001 (Commencement) (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/2304 Corrects a defect in S.I. 2001/2161. 
			
			 The International Criminal Court Act 2001 (Elements of Crimes) Regulations 2001 2001/2505 To enable the UK courts to take Elements of Crimes into account in a domestic trial. 
			
			 The Afghanistan (United Nations Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/2557 This order was made under the United Nations Act 1946 to amend the Afghanistan (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2001 to enhance the financial sanctions regime imposed against the Taliban. 
			
			 The Afghanistan (United Nations Sanctions) (Amendment) (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/2558 This order was made under the United Nations Act 1946 to amend the Afghanistan (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2001 to enhance the financial sanctions regime imposed against the Taliban. 
			
			 The International Criminal Court Act 2001 (Reservations and Declarations) Order 2001 2001/2559 This order was made under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 and sets out the relevant reservations and declarations made by the United Kingdom when ratifying various treaties. 
			
			 The Specialized Agencies of the United Nations (Immunities and Privileges of UNESCO) Order 2001 2001/2560 The United Kingdom rejoined UNESCO on 1 July 1997. This order restores the privileges and immunities previously enjoyed by UNESCO and persons connected with it by re-applying the 1974 order to them. 
			 The Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/2579 To enable the Bermuda Constituency Boundaries Commission to make recommendations on the establishment of single-member constituencies for elections to the House of Assembly and to make some unrelated and uncontroversial amendments to the Constitution of Bermuda. 
			
			 The Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 2001/3365 This order was made to enforce the prohibition of fundraising for terrorism purposes and restrict the making available of funds and financial services to terrorists and provides powers to freeze accounts of suspected terrorists pursuant to a decision of the Security Council of the United Nations in its resolution 1373 of 28 September 2001. 
			
			 The Terrorism (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/3366 This order was made for the same purpose as S.I. 2001/3365 above, for application in the Overseas Territories. 
			
			 The Civil Aviation Act 1982 (Overseas Territories) (No. 2) Order 2001 2001/3367 This order extends, with modifications, section 76(4) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 to the Territories listed in Schedule 2 to the order. 
			
			 The British Nationality Act 1981 (Amendment of Schedule 6) Order 2001 2001/3497 The order updates the list of British dependent territories in Schedule 6 to the British National Act 1981. 
			
			 The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/3498 To implement the increase in passport fees on passports issued by the United Kingdom Passport Service. 
			
			 The Landmines Act 1998 (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 2001/3499 This order was made to extend the provisions of the Act. 
			
			 The Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) Order 2001 2001/3670 To ensure that the legislation of either Ireland or the United Kingdom applies to the entire length of the pipeline. The order implements the agreement contained in the exchange of letters dated 31 October 2001. The order also corrects an error in the Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) (Consolidation) Order 2000. 
			
			 The European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (European School) Order 2001 2001/3671 This order declares the Exchange of Notes dated 20 December 2000 and 12 January 2001 between Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Board of Governors of the European School amending the agreement between the Government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Board of Governors of the European School at Culham to be a Community Treaty as defined in section (2) of the European Communities Act 1972. 
			
			 The European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization) Order 2001 2001/3672 This order declares the Exchange of Notes dated 20 December 2000 and 4 January 2001 between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation to be a Community Treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. 
			
			 The European Communities (Immunities and Privileges of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization) Order 2001 2001/3673 To enable the granting of relief from Insurance Premium Tax and Air Passenger Duty to NASCO. 
			
			 The European Communities (Privileges of the European School) Order 2001 2001/3674 To enable the granting of relief from Insurance Premium Tax and Air Passenger Duty to NASCO. 
			
			 The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2001 2001/3921 This order confers privileges and immunities upon the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, on representatives of its members, its officials and experts. 
			
			 The Visiting Forces Act (Application to Bermuda) Order 2001 2001/3922 The order extends to Bermuda the Visiting Forces Act 1952. This allows most of the provisions of the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to be implemented in Bermuda, once that agreement is extended to Bermuda.  
			
			 Children and Young Persons: The Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Conventions) (Amendment) Order 2001 2001/3923 The order amends Schedule 1 to the Child Abduction (Parties to Conventions) Order 1986. 
			
			 The al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2002 2002/111 This order was made to impose sanctions on Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and the territory of Afghanistan. 
			
			 The al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2002 2002/112 This order was made to impose sanctions on Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and the territory of Afghanistan extending to the territories listed in Schedule 1.

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost of his Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years.

Denis MacShane: The costs (excluding staff) of the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk) over the past four years are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
		
		
			 1997 Initial set up and design costs 53,490 
			 1998 Technical support and running costs 47,000 
			 1999 Technical support and running costs 47,000 
			 2000 Design enhancement, technical support and running costs 118,970 
			 2001 Design enhancement, technical support and running costs 135,856 
		
	
	Total page impressions for each year are:
	
		
			  Number  
		
		
			 1998 5,863,634 
			 1999 10,522,512 
			 2000 24,733,818 
			 2001 27,000,000

Saudi Arabia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Saudi Arabia about allegations of torture in Saudi police stations, detention centres and jails.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government are concerned about the allegations of torture in Saudi Arabia in the Amnesty International "Rights at Risk" publication. Saudi Arabia acceded to the UN Convention against Torture in October 1997. We continue to encourage the Saudis to fully implement the convention. We raise our concerns with the Saudis about human rights at all levels.

Saudi Arabia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Saudi Arabia about recent allegations of torture of British nationals in Saudi Arabia; and what investigations have been launched on the basis of such allegations.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have made representations at the highest levels to the Saudi Government about those British nationals detained following a series of bombings. We continue to do so. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, other Ministers and I have raised these cases in our contact with the Saudi Government.

Prisoners (Afghanistan)

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances the UK Government have received from the US Administration about the treatment of prisoners transferred from UK forces to US forces in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: The issue has not arisen since we have not transferred any prisoners between UK and US forces in Afghanistan.

Zimbabwe

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  when the European Union observing team will publish its final report on the election process in Zimbabwe;
	(2)  what plans there are for the European Union observing team to publish interim reports on the election process in Zimbabwe;
	(3)  what access the European Union observers are guaranteed to ballot stations during the voting process in Zimbabwe's presidential elections under the terms outlined in the letter of invitation sent by the Government of Zimbabwe to the European Union;
	(4)  how many election observers the European Union will send to Zimbabwe to monitor the election process; what the nationality is of each of these observers; in which of the eight provinces of Zimbabwe the observers will be deployed; and how many observers will be deployed in each province;
	(5)  which members of the European Union may send observers to monitor the Presidential election in Zimbabwe under the terms outlined in the letter of invitation sent by the Government of Zimbabwe to the European Union;
	(6)  how many election observers the European Union may send to Zimbabwe under the terms outlined in the letter of invitation sent by the Government of Zimbabwe to the European Union.

Jack Straw: The EU tried for eight months to engage Zimbabwe in constructive consultation, under the Cotonou agreement. President Mugabe refused to engage. The EU accordingly moved to Article 96 consultations in October 2001. This was a final opportunity for the Government of Zimbabwe to engage positively. Again, they did not.
	As a consequence, at the General Affairs council on 28 January the EU decided it would close Article 96 Consultations and implement targeted sanctions if the Government of Zimbabwe prevented the deployment of an EU observer mission, or impeded its effective operation; if they prevented the international media from having free access to cover the election; if there was a serious deterioration in the human rights situation, or attacks on the opposition; or if the election was assessed as not being free and fair.
	On 4 February the Zimbabwean Government sent a letter to the European Union, inviting it to send observers to cover the election. The letter specifically excluded the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland from sending observers. It did not specify how many could be sent, (the EU had intended to send a total of 150). The letter did not specify either what access they would have to voting stations.
	On 16 February, the Government of Zimbabwe expelled the Swedish leader of the EU observer team, Pierre Schori.
	Mr. Schori reported to the General Affairs Council (GAC) on 18 February that an EU election observation mission was untenable because the Zimbabwe Government was obstructing the deployment of observers and because of the unremitting violence and restrictions on the media. The GAC therefore decided to impose targeted sanctions (asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo) against 20 senior members of the Zimbabwe Government. The vote was unanimous. A copy of these conclusions has been placed in the Library.
	The GAC conclusions note that the EU reserves the right to take additional targeted restrictive measures, at a later date, if the situation deteriorates further.

Commercial Contracts (Ministerial Endorsement)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British embassies have submitted requests for (a) prime ministerial and (b) other ministerial endorsement of commercial contracts in their respective countries in the last three years, broken down by (i) UK companies and (ii) other companies, indicating in each case the value of contracts concerned and the outcome of each of the endorsements.

Jack Straw: Ministers write frequently in support of UK commercial interests in overseas markets. The information is not, however, available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Indonesia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government following the establishment of a National Investigation Commission (KPN) to investigate the killing of Papuan pro- independence leader, Theys Eluay; and what assessment he has made of the composition of the investigation team.

Ben Bradshaw: On 29 November, the day after the establishment of a National Investigation Commission, the Chargé d'Affaires in Jakarta raised our concerns about this case with Manuel Kaisiepo, the Minister for the Development of Eastern Indonesia. On 5 February Foreign Office officials raised the issue of the National Investigation Commission with the Indonesian Ambassador in London. They reiterated the need for an independent investigation and for any findings to be made public.
	The UK Government are aware of widespread concern over the composition of the National Investigation Commission, and the presence of the separate Indonesian armed forces investigation team. The Indonesian Government must now show they are able to investigate the case objectively and transparently, and subsequently apply the law appropriately.

Indonesia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospect of the alleged perpetrators of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in East Timor being brought to justice in Indonesia in proceedings which meet international human rights standards before the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court established for that purpose.

Ben Bradshaw: While there has been good progress in East Timor in bringing to account those who committed crimes in 1999, progress in Jakarta has been disappointingly slow. However, judges and prosecutors for the Ad Hoc Tribunal have now been appointed and the tribunal is expected to begin hearing cases in March.
	While it is important for the tribunal to begin as soon as possible, we will continue to raise our concerns about the jurisdictional limitations of the tribunal with the Indonesian authorities. The question of retroactive prosecutions will be for the tribunal to determine. The judges and prosecutors appointed to the tribunal are professional lawyers.
	There is currently no provision for victim/witness protection under Indonesian law. However, it is expected that this will be included in forthcoming legislation.
	The embassy in Jakarta will monitor the proceedings of thet tribunal closely.
	The Indonesian Government and representatives from the UN Transitional Administration to East Timor (UNTAET) and the East Timorese leadership meet regularly to discuss a range of bilateral issues.

Correspondence

James Cran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a substantive reply will be given to Captain Alan Croft's letter of 30 October 2001, concerning Mr. Shwe Tun Aung.

Ben Bradshaw: I am sorry that, due to an administrative error, the hon. Member did not receive a reply to his letter of 30 October 2001.
	The matter will be investigated and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I am able.

Gibraltar

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Spanish Government since 1 January on the right of self-determination for the people of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle), on 5 February 2002, Official Report, columns 738–39.

Taiwan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government concerning its policy towards Taiwan; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: In my meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 19 December, I urged China to rule out the rule of force against Taiwan and pursue a peaceful resolution through negotiation. We believe that the future of Taiwan is a matter to be settled by the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Vietnam

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Vietnam on persecution of Christians.

Ben Bradshaw: Promotion of human rights, including freedom of thought, conscience and religion, is at the heart of our foreign policy. Whenever the opportunity arises we condemn instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief, in Vietnam and elsewhere, and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised human rights issues in general when he met the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Mr. Nien, in London in September 2001. When my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister visited Vietnam in December 2001, he raised the treatment of the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nong Duc Manh. The EU Human Rights Working Group in Hanoi, in which our Embassy plays a leading role, has also raised the treatment of religious believers on several occasions during its regular dialogue with the Vietnamese authorities.

Biological Weapons Convention

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish a paper making suggestions on methods of strengthening the biological weapons convention; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I intend to publish a Green Paper in April setting out a range of possible measures to deal with the threat from biological weapons. These measures will include ways of strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention.

LNM Holdings

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), during his term of office as Minister for Europe, met (a) Mr. Mittal of LNM Holdings and (b) other employees of that company; and what was discussed.

Peter Hain: In his official capacity of Minister for Europe my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East met Mr. Mittal of LNM Holdings at a lunch for the President of Kazakhstan on 17 November 2000 where UK/Kazakhstan relations were discussed. There are no meetings recorded between my hon. Friend as Minister for Europe and other employees of LNM Holdings.

Private Military Companies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are in place to ensure that a British mercenary is unable to be employed in activity against British interests.

Denis MacShane: The Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 makes it an offence for a British subject without licence from Her Majesty to enlist in the armed forces of a foreign state at war with another foreign state which is at peace with the UK. However, no successful prosecutions have been brought under the Act.
	The FCO published on 12 February a consultation paper entitled "Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation", which examines the involvement of the private sector in military and security activity and outlines options for regulation. The FCO welcomes comments on this issue prior to the ministerial decisions.

Private Military Companies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regulations are in place to ensure that private military companies based in the UK are held accountable for their actions.

Denis MacShane: No regulations specifically directed towards the activities of private military companies are presently in place.
	That is why, in its Paper entitled "Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation" which was published on 12 February, the FCO outlined options for regulating the activities of private military companies. The Government will make final decisions after the six-month consultation period.

EU-USA Productivity Gap

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures the Government will be proposing at the European Council in Barcelona to close the productivity gap between the European Union and the United States of America.

Peter Hain: One of the key objectives of the Lisbon economic and social reform strategy is to make the EU the most dynamic and competitive economy in the world. Improving EU productivity levels is central to achieving that aim. At the second annual review of the Lisbon strategy, in Barcelona, the Spanish Presidency is proposing to concentrate on five priority areas: transport and communication networks; energy; education and training; financial services; labour markets. The Government fully support this approach. All five areas have a key role to play in improving EU productivity. Better interconnection between transport and communication networks will improve physical and virtual mobility and delivery; more energy liberalisation and interconnection will improve competition and lower prices; the right approach to education and training will deliver the skills and adaptability required by the 21 Century workplace; integrated financial markets will lower the cost of capital and increase consumer and business choice; more flexible and dynamic labour markets will facilitate job creation and labour mobility.

PRIME MINISTER

Business Contacts

Tim Collins: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on how many occasions in the last 12 months he has written to heads of state or Government of other countries on behalf of companies with fewer than 150 employees in the UK;
	(2)  what briefing papers he received concerning LNM Holdings prior to his signing the July 2001 letter he sent concerning the company to his Romanian counterpart; and which department sent them;
	(3)  on how many occasions in the last 12 months he has written to the Romanian Prime Minister; and if he will list the date of each letter;
	(4)  on how many occasions in the last 12 months he has written to heads of state or Government on behalf of individual companies;
	(5)  if he will publish the criteria by which he decides whether it is appropriate for him to write to a foreign Government on behalf of an individual company.

Roger Gale: To ask the Prime Minister if he will name the companies on whose behalf he has signed letters in support of (a) export and (b) other business interests since 1 May 1997.

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of benefit for the British economy of the awarding of a contract to LNM Holdings to build a steel plant in Romania.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Members for East Carmarthen and Dinefwr (Adam Price) and for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 14 February 2002, Official Report, columns 610–11W.

Business Contacts

Tim Collins: To ask the Prime Minister if the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) has written to him within the last two years concerning (a) Mr. Mittal of LNM Holdings and (b) that company.

Tony Blair: My hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East did not write to me concerning these matters.

Business Contacts

Tim Collins: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has met Mr. Mittal of LNM Holdings.

Tony Blair: As my official spokesman has already confirmed, I have not had any bilateral meetings with Mr. Mittal.
	I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Business Contacts

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he was informed of the attempt by the LNM Group to acquire Sidex;
	(2)  how many letters of congratulations he has sent to heads of foreign Governments for allowing the acquisition of assets by companies or individuals which are supported by the British Government; and what were the (a) days on which the letters were sent and (b) foreign countries concerned.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him and the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 14 February 2002, Official Report, columns 610–11W.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

London Underground

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many changes to the requirements have been notified to bidders for the London Underground PPP since the original invitation to bid.

John Spellar: London Underground is responsible for managing the competition for the contracts to modernise the Tube infrastructure. I understand that London Underground has made a number of changes to the contractual requirements as it has developed is plans.

London Underground

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) full-time drivers, (b) full-time guards and (c) full-time station staff were employed by London Underground in each of the last 10 years.

John Spellar: London Underground has provided the information in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of full-time train operators Number of full-time guards Number of full-time station staff 
		
		
			 1991–92 2,645 838 4,430 
			 1992–93 1,924 842 4,038 
			 1993–94 2,016 779 4,207 
			 1994–95 2,079 612 4,204 
			 1995–96 2,225 459 4,078 
			 1996–97 2,384 508 4,123 
			 1997–98 2,560 525 4,095 
			 1998–99 2,638 594 4,182 
			 1999–2000 2,908 7 4,966 
			 2000–01 3,005 4 5,145 
		
	
	Note:
	For years 1993–94 to 1997–98 inclusive, the figures represent the average number of staff over the whole year. Figures for other years represent staff numbers at the end of the financial year.
	The large drop in the number of guards in 1999–2000 was due to the introduction of new Northern Line trains, which do not require guards.

Affordable Housing

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many affordable housing units have been built in each year since 1997 (a) with social housing grant, (b) with local authority social housing grant and (c) with no public funding (i) in England and (ii) in rural districts.

Sally Keeble: Information on points (a) and (b) is given in the following table. Provisional data on point (c) were collected for the first time covering last year, but returns were incomplete. We have made changes to this year's return to encourage more complete reporting.
	
		Affordable housing units build in England
		
			   Units funded through Social Housing Grant:  
			  (a) Housing Corporation (b) Local Authority 
		
		
			 1997–98   
			 Deep rural 1,128 894 
			 Mixed rural 4,172 2,427 
			 All rural authorities 5,300 3,321 
			 All authorities 29,551 10,161 
			
			 1998–99   
			 Deep rural 823 718 
			 Mixed rural 4,181 1,764 
			 All rural authorities 5,004 2,482 
			 All authorities 28,207 9,714 
			
			 1999–2000   
			 Deep rural 734 728 
			 Mixed rural 3,197 1,652 
			 All rural authorities 3,931 2,380 
			 All authorities 23,568 8,396 
			
			 2000–01   
			 Deep rural 802 478 
			 Mixed rural 3,190 1,532 
			 All rural authorities 3,992 2,010 
			 All authorities 20,867 8,081 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Completions in respect of any schemes originally approved prior to 1996–97. Involving both Housing Corporation and Local Authority Social Housing Grant Support will be counted under both headings, but cannot be distinguished.
	2. Affordable housing schemes comprise those for rent (including tariff and mixed funded schemes); temporary social housing schemes (including MiniHag, and short-life housing); and shared or outright ownership schemes (including leasehold for the elderly).
	Source:
	Housing Corporation returns

Affordable Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to increase the availability of affordable housing.

Sally Keeble: The Government recognise the pressures on affordable housing in many parts of the country. We are taking a number of steps to address this.
	We are significantly increasing the resources available for the provision of additional affordable housing. By 2003–04, funding for the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme will be almost double last year's level, at £1.2 billion.
	We are also providing £250 million through the Starter Home Initiative to help some 10,000 key workers in high demand areas to purchase a home.
	In addition, we are consulting on proposals to replace the present system of negotiated planning obligations with a tariff-based approach. We expect this to increase the provision of affordable housing through the planning process.
	We have also established the Affordable Housing Unit to work closely with partners and stakeholders to improve delivery of affordable housing over the next three years. This work will concentrate on expanding development opportunity, speeding up negotiation and approval of schemes, increased funding, and making better use of the existing housing stock.

Affordable Housing

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has for the (a) provision and (b) development of affordable housing in the Greater London area.

Sally Keeble: Over the next two years we are making available an additional £300 million above current levels for the provision of affordable housing in London. In 2001–02 the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme will invest £338 million in London, rising to £411 million in 2002–03 and £545 million in 2003–04.
	We are also providing £146 million through the Starter Home Initiative to help key workers in London to purchase a home. We expect about 2,300 nurses and other health workers, 1,600 teachers, 550 police and 200 other key workers to benefit, mainly through shared ownership or equity loans. In addition, 4,000 units of affordable rental accommodation for health staff are being provided by the NHS's Housing Co-ordinator, mainly in London and the South East.
	We have also established the Affordable Housing Unit to work closely with partners and stakeholders to improve delivery of affordable housing over the next three years, particularly in areas of acute pressure on housing such as London. This work will concentrate on expanding development opportunity, speeding up negotiation and approval of schemes, increased funding, and making better use of the existing housing stock.

Affordable Housing

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the accuracy of his Department's figures for annual provision of new affordable housing units; and what representations he has received on them from interested organisations.

Sally Keeble: The Housing Corporation monitors Approved Development Programme and Local Authority Social Housing Grant scheme approvals and completions. We are satisfied with the accuracy of these figures.
	Local authorities are now asked to provide summary information on all affordable housing activity as part of their annual Housing Investment Programme returns and we are dependent on the accuracy of the figures they supply. On the basis of their first responses on last year's return, we believe that there may have been under- reporting of Registered Social Landlord provision, and there are changes to this year's return with the aim of improving the accuracy.
	Over the past three months, Ministers have replied to 26 letters and five parliamentary questions on the provision of affordable housing units. Over the same period, Lord Falconer, Minister for Housing, has discussed rural affordable housing in several meetings with the Countryside Agency. He has also discussed affordable housing with the National Housing Forum, and visited the Priory Heights Community Housing Project in London. In addition, I attended a debate on affordable housing in South Gloucestershire.

Special Purpose Vehicles

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice he has received from Arthur Andersen on establishing special purpose vehicles.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 8 February 2002
	None.

Railtrack

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who will make the final decision on which owner takes over Railtrack; and what criteria will be used.

David Jamieson: Section 59 and Schedule 7 of the Railways Act 1993 provide for the Special Railway Administrator to submit a transfer scheme to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for approval. My right hon. Friend set out the principal issues upon which he will need to be satisfied before approving a scheme in his reply of 31 October 2001, Official Report, columns 669–71W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker).

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on the definition of his proposed company limited by guarantee as a replacement for Railtrack and the PSBR.

Stephen Byers: DTLR Ministers and officials have discussions with colleagues in other Departments on a range of subjects on a regular basis.

Rough Sleepers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what time of day on average rough sleeping head counts supervised by the Rough Sleepers Unit took place during the last year.

Sally Keeble: The DTLR's guidance "Evaluating the Extent of Rough Sleeping" states that rough sleeper counts should take place on a single night and should take place between midnight and 6am.
	The guidance contains the methodology for carrying out a count of rough sleepers. This methodology was developed by voluntary sector agencies including Shelter in the early 1990s and has been tested and developed through independent research. The methodology has remained unchanged and has been used nationally for over five years.
	Rough sleeping counts are arranged and supervised by staff from voluntary agencies and local authorities. Members of the Rough Sleepers Unit assist local authority and voluntary agencies in a voluntary capacity in carrying out street counts.

Rough Sleepers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what payments the Rough Sleepers Unit have made in the last year to house rough sleepers in temporary accommodation; and if he will publish a breakdown of expenditure.

Sally Keeble: The Rough Sleepers Unit funds a range of housing associations and voluntary organisations in England to provide temporary accommodation, including hostels and rolling shelters, for rough sleepers. In financial year 2001–02, this amounted to £8,193,000.

Rough Sleepers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps are taken during rough sleeping counts supervised by the Rough Sleepers Unit to ensure the personal safety of those conducting the count.

Sally Keeble: Rough sleeping counts are arranged and supervised by staff from voluntary agencies and local authorities. Guidance issued to local authorities highlights that the safety of counters should be the overriding priority when carrying out a count and that safety is discussed before a count takes place.
	Counters work in pairs for safety reasons and to verify the accuracy of the records made. In some cases voluntary organisations have drawn up additional safety and good practice guidelines to ensure the well being of their staff and volunteers who help out with counts.
	Arrangements should also be made in advance by local authorities or the voluntary agencies for the safe transport home of counters, by taxi if necessary.

Housing Stock Transfers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he gives to local authorities regarding information in publicity material about stock transfer of local authority homes; and what advice he gives to tenants questioning the accuracy of such information.

Sally Keeble: Guidance on publicity material is contained in the Department's "Housing Transfer Guidance—2002 Programme" which includes a Good Practice Guide on consultation material. A copy of this document is in the Library of the House. If tenants have any concerns they should raise them with the local authority or the Independent Tenants Adviser.

Housing Stock Transfers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much was spent in 2001 and what budget is allocated for (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 for early debt redemption costs of housing stock transfers in England and Wales.

Sally Keeble: The Department currently has no budget for this purpose because local authorities in England are required to meet the early debt redemption premiums that may be incurred when authorities repay housing debt at the time of a housing stock transfer. Responsibility for housing in Wales is a devolved issue and is now a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Transport Capacity Studies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when work will begin on the Greater Manchester capacity study.

John Spellar: A high level strategic study was carried out last year jointly funded by the Strategic Rail Authority, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, Manchester Airport, Railtrack and the Highways Agency.

Transport Capacity Studies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on when work will begin on the West Midlands capacity study.

John Spellar: The West Midlands capacity study was completed last year. Railtrack is undertaking further development work to refine the proposals.

Nottingham Express Transit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Nottingham Express Transit Light Rail scheme; and when he expects it to open.

John Spellar: The Nottingham Express Transit is a 14km light rail line running from Hucknall, north of Nottingham, through other former mining communities and disadvantaged inner city areas before reaching the city centre and terminating at Nottingham railway station. The scheme will promote regeneration and ease congestion by providing better transport choices in the area and easy interchange with local and national rail services. The line is under construction and scheduled to open in November 2003.

Train Operating Companies (Fines)

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what responsibilities (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) the Office of the Rail Regulator have in levying fines on train operating companies.

John Spellar: Section 55 of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended by section 225 of the Transport Act 2000) established an enforcement regime in the hands of the appropriate authority which permits it to impose a monetary penalty for contraventions of (a) licence conditions, franchise agreements and certain obligations concerning closures of railway facilities and (b) enforcement orders made to secure compliance with any such obligation. The Rail Regulator is the appropriate authority for licences. The SRA is the appropriate authority for franchises and closure obligations.

Social Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many council dwellings were built in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

Sally Keeble: The figures for the number of council dwellings built over the past 10 years are given in the table together with the new build in the first nine months of 2001–02.
	
		Local authority new building: England
		
			 Year Number of dwellings 
		
		
			 1991–92 7,001 
			 1992–93 2,381 
			 1993–94 1,431 
			 1994–95 853 
			 1995–96 752 
			 1996–97 451 
			 1997–98 323 
			 1998–99 194 
			 1999–2000 102 
			 2000–01 717 
			 2001–02(12) 94 
		
	
	(12) Provisional estimate for April 2001 to December 2002.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions further to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 140, on housing associations, if he will publish his assessment of the value for money of house construction by housing associations and councils, indicating in both cases the allowance made for housing benefit and other associated benefit costs.

Sally Keeble: We generally expect house construction by housing associations to offer better value for money for the taxpayer than construction by councils, owing to the greater ability of housing associations to draw on private sources of funding.

Council Tax (Sussex Police Authority)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average amount of council tax is, based on the average band D dwelling, that tax-payers in East Sussex (a) contribute towards policing through the Sussex Police Authority and (b) contributed towards policing in tax-year 1996–97; and what the English shire average for these periods was.

Alan Whitehead: The table shows the band D council tax set by Sussex police authority in financial years 1996–97 and 2001–02. This is the amount of council tax per band D property in East Sussex that was contributed towards the cost of policing in Sussex. The average band D figures for the English shire police authorities are also provided.
	
		£ 
		
			   1996–97 2001–02 
		
		
			 Band D council tax for Sussex police authority 46 59 
			 Average Band D council tax for English shire police authorities 47 72

Rail Safety

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of red/green zone working—A report on the progress with maximisation of green zone working on Railtrack infrastructure.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a written progress report on each of the ten recommendations in the Railway Inspectorate's report "Red/Green Zone working—A report on the progress with maximisation of green zone working on Railtrack infrastructure". I will write to my hon. Friend shortly with the HSE's response and place copies in the House Libraries.

Rail Safety

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many 
	(1)  employees of railway companies and their contractors successfully completed safety training courses in each year since 1990;
	(2)  hours of safety training were provided to employees of railway companies and their contractors in each year since 1990.

David Jamieson: Neither the Health and Safety Executive nor the individual railway companies hold this information in the form requested.

Rail Safety

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) fatal and (b) major injuries there were to (i) railway staff and (ii) their contractors in each year since 1990.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive do not record separate figures for railway and contractor staff. The table therefore shows the number of fatal and major injuries to railway and contractor staff combined.
	Comprehensive statistics and information on accidents to railway employees and contractors can be found in the Chief Inspector of Railways' Annual Report on railway safety, copies of which are available in both House Libraries.
	
		
			  Fatalities Major injuries 
		
		
			 1990 22 306 
			 1991(13) 5 76 
			 1991–92 17 278 
			 1992–93 11 284 
			 1993–94 8 262 
			 1994–95 9 252 
			 1995–96 5 225 
			 1996–97 2 310 
			 1997–98 3 351 
			 1998–99 4 376 
			 1999–2000 5 340 
			 2000–01 8 300 
		
	
	(13) The figures for 1991 cover 1 January 1991–31 March 1991.

Passenger Fatalities

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average number of people per 100 million passenger journeys who were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured by each major mode of transport was in each of the last three years.

David Jamieson: The number of passengers (a) killed and (b) seriously injured per 100 million passenger journeys by each major mode of transport in each of the last three years in Great Britain are given in the tables.
	
		Number of passengers(14) killed per 100 million passenger journeys (GB)
		
			  1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Rail(15) 1 2 1 
			 Water(16) 3 2 3 
			 Air(17) 0 6 4 
			 Car 4 4 4 
			 Van 1 1 1 
			 Bus and coach 0.3 0.2 0.3 
			 Two-wheeled motor vehicle 180 174 194 
			 Pedal cycle 15 16 12 
			 Pedestrian 4 4 4 
		
	
	
		Number of passengers(14) seriously injured per 100 million passenger journeys (GB)
		
			  1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Rail(15),(18) n/a n/a NA 
			 Water(16) 201 150 232 
			 Air(17) 1 4 6 
			 Car 45 42 41 
			 Van 18 16 15 
			 Bus and coach 11 11 10 
			 Two-wheeled motor vehicle 2,151 2,026 2,172 
			 Pedal cycle 301 274 247 
			 Pedestrian 44 40 39 
		
	
	(14) Staff and crew are not included for rail, water and air. Drivers are not included for bus and coach but are included for car, van, two-wheeled motor vehicle and pedal cycle.
	(15) Financial years.
	(16) World passenger services of UK registered vehicles.
	(17) World passenger services of UK airlines.
	(18) Since 1996, rail passenger injury figures have been collected under different definitions.

Empty Properties (Departmental Estate)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) his Department, (b) his agencies and (c) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997.

Alan Whitehead: We do not hold this information centrally, and obtaining this data, covering a period of four years, from approaching a hundred different property centres which manage the Department's administrative and operational estate, would involve disproportionate cost.

Cycle Safety

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to set requirements for (a) the level of brightness and (b) the size of cycle lamps.

David Jamieson: The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 require cycle lamps to comply with the British Standard BS 6102 and be marked accordingly. This includes a requirement for minimum intensity at various positions and angles from the lens.
	There is no requirement for the size of the illuminated area of cycle lamps. There are currently no plans to introduce such a requirement.

Cycle Safety

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to make the wearing of cycle helmets by cyclists a statutory requirement.

David Jamieson: We will continue to monitor wearing rates and review the option of compulsory wearing from time to time.

Asylum Seekers (Housing)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which housing authority will have responsibility for housing applicants for asylum approved for indefinite leave to remain under the proposals in the White Paper, Asylum Law.

Sally Keeble: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King) on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 181W. Under the proposals in the White Paper, asylum seekers granted refugee status would, as now, be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Malicious Fires

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many malicious dwelling fires there were in each region and nation of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997; and how many fires there were per (a) dwelling and (b) capita in each region in each year since 1997.

Alan Whitehead: A table showing the number of malicious dwelling fires attended by local authority fire brigades in the UK for the period 1997 to 2000 has today been placed in the Libraries of the House. These figures are also expressed as a rate per million of the population (PMP) and per 10,000 dwellings.

Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations are in place on minimum standards for the size and quality of housing.

Sally Keeble: There are a number of regulations in place in relation to the size and quality of housing.
	Under the housing fitness standard, set out in section 604 in the Housing Act 1985, as amended by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, a dwelling is unfit if, in the opinion of the local authority, it fails to meet one of nine specified requirements and, by reason of that failure, is not reasonably suitable for occupation. The requirements constitute the minimum deemed necessary for a dwelling house to be fit for human habitation. They include that a dwelling house should be free from serious disrepair, that it should be structurally safe, and that it should be free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants.
	When parliamentary time allows, the Government intend to replace the housing fitness standard with a new risk-based assessment procedure—the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This will improve upon the existing standard by covering all the important health and safety risks in the home.
	Local authorities have a range of powers to improve standards in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)—primarily through section 352 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended. This power enables a local authority to serve a notice requiring a landlord to carry out works to ensure the physical condition of the property is adequate for the number of occupants. The Government are also committed to introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for HMOs which will operate closely alongside the proposed Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
	In addition, the Government have set a target to bring all social homes up to set standards of decency by 2010, and to reduce the number of social tenants living in non-decent homes by one-third by April 2004, with most of this reduction taking place in deprived areas.
	A decent home must:
	be above the current statutory minimum standard for housing;
	be in a reasonable state of repair;
	have reasonably modern facilities and services; and
	provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
	The decent home standard is not set down in statute.
	The Government have also developed with the Housing Corporation the Housing Quality Indicator (HQI) system, which is a measurement and assessment tool designed to allow housing schemes to be evaluated on the basis of quality rather than simply of cost. The HQI assesses the quality of a housing project using three main categories: location, design and performance. These three categories produce 10 "Quality Indicators", which include an assessment of unit size. An HQI assessment generates separate scores for each indicator, producing a profile of the scheme and an overall HQI score. From April 1 2001 the Housing Corporation Scheme Development Standards require HQIs to be used on all new developments utilising social housing grant. In addition, as part of the process of completing the HQI assessment, potential developers and architects should also be able to make design decisions which result in higher quality housing with minimal cost implications.
	Overcrowding standards are set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985. The room standard is breached if two people of opposite sexes, who are not living together as husband and wife, must sleep in the same room. The space standard specifies the number of people who may sleep in a dwelling according to the number of rooms.
	Building work, which includes the erection or extension of a house, is subject to the Building Regulations which set out the requirements to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings, energy efficiency, and access and facilities for disabled people. They make no requirements for size, but in respect of quality, it is stipulated that the work shall be carried out with adequate and proper materials and in a workmanlike manner.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many houses were built in each region by housing associations in each of the last five years.

Sally Keeble: The number of dwellings built by registered social landlords for the last five financial years are given in the table, together with the first nine months data of the latest year. The figures do not include those dwellings bought by registered social landlords, or dwellings provided by converting existing dwellings or other buildings such as offices.
	
		Housebuilding by registered social landlords—number of completions by Government office region
		
			 Region 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 North East 1,036 900 667 803 636 439 
			 North West 3,590 2,661 2,284 2,884 3,226 2,221 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,709 1,540 1,586 1,195 917 670 
			 East Midlands 1,149 1,361 1,295 1,172 898 411 
			 West Midlands 2,179 1,855 2,152 2,184 1,713 859 
			 East 2,903 2,436 2,480 1,718 1,678 1,192 
			 London 4,858 4,329 3,198 2,934 3,710 2,434 
			 South East 3,634 4,069 3,643 2,884 2,716 2,035 
			 South West 2,477 2,246 1,615 1,589 1,788 1,111 
			  
			 England 24,535 21,397 18,920 17,363 17,282 11,372 
		
	
	(19) April-December only. Figures for this period are provisional and subject to change.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures he plans to put into place to encourage greater co-operation between planning and housing officers of local authorities.

Sally Keeble: We have set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, "Housing", our expectation that planning and housing departments should work together to assess the housing needs of their communities. In the good practice guides we have published to support PPG3 we have underlined the value of close co-operation between planning and housing officers and have highlighted those areas where maximum benefit is to be gained.

Local Government Funding

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what increases in resources have been given to local government since 1997; what additional resources have been given to local government for personal social services; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: For the period from 1997–98 to 2002–03, the actual increase on a like-for-like basis in Government grant to local authorities is £11.3 billion. The actual increase on a like-for-like basis in personal social services provision (standard spending assessment increase plus earmarked grant increase) over the same period is £2.7 billion. These levels of increase are enough that all authorities should be able to deliver improvements to public services while sticking to reasonable council tax increases.

Exmoor National Park Authority

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the decision of the Exmoor National Park Authority not to pursue its policy of restricting ownership, with particular reference to second home owners.

Sally Keeble: Last year, Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) put forward proposals in the context of the National Park local plan review to tackle a shortage of affordable houses for the park community and what it perceived as excessive numbers of second homes.
	The Government believed such local policies would give rise to serious problems of definition and enforcement. We therefore objected to the proposed plan policy.
	I understand that ENPA are still considering representations made on their deposited local plan and have not made any new decisions about policies, including those on second homes. The Government's position remains unchanged.

Mobile Telephone Masts

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice is given to local planning authorities about the distance that Tetra masts should be sited from residential properties.

Sally Keeble: Current Government planning policy for telecommunications is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 8 (revised): Telecommunications. The guidance advises that all telecommunications operators have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure that so far as is reasonably practicable, their work activities—which would include the installation and operation of their equipment—do not expose people to risks to their health and safety.
	Following publication of the Stewart report on mobile phones and health in May 2000, the Government accepted that, as a precautionary measure, the emissions from mobile phone base stations should meet the more restrictive International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines for public exposure (as expressed in the EU Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300GHz)). Most base stations already meet the ICNIRP guidelines and all new base stations will do so.
	The Stewart report recommended the establishment of clearly defined physical exclusion zones around base station antennas, which delineate areas within which exposure guidelines may be exceeded, to prevent the public from exposure radio frequency radiation above the ICNIRP guidelines. These exclusion zones relate to an area directly in front of and at the height of the antenna. The report did not recommend the introduction of a minimum distance between masts and existing development and we have no plans to introduce such a requirement.

Mobile Telephone Masts

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what landscape criteria are considered in applications to site Tetra masts.

Sally Keeble: TETRA mast development is subject to the normal telecommunications planning arrangements in place throughout England. Our revised Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 'Telecommunications' (PPG8) states the Government's policy on telecommunications development.
	In particular, we attach great importance to minimising the impact of telecommunications development on the environment. Our policy is to encourage mast and site sharing and to make good use of existing buildings and other structures for the siting of antennas. We also encourage the use of sympathetic design and camouflage. Particularly in designated areas, the aim should be for apparatus to blend into the landscape.
	It is for operators and local authorities to consider together what might be the best location and design solution for an individual mast.

Fishing Industry Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fishermen who have lost their lives at sea in UK waters in each of the past five years were (a) UK citizens, (b) crew of a UK-registered flag of convenience vessel and (c) crew of foreign vessels.

David Jamieson: The numbers of fishermen who have lost their lives in the United Kingdom's 12-mile territorial waters are recorded in the database of the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch. The record refers to the lives lost from UK and non-UK registered vessels and does not identify citizenship details of fatalities nor the nationality of the beneficial ownership of a fishing vessel.
	Details of the beneficial ownership of a fishing vessel have been obtained from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The figures are produced in tabular form.
	
		
			   Deaths from UK registered vessels Number of which are from vessels beneficially owned by foreign interests Deaths from non-UK registered vessels 
		
		
			 1997 9 0 3 
			 1998 13 0 1 
			 1999 6 0 1 
			 2000 8 1 2 
			 2001 6 0 0

Fishing Industry Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) accidents at sea, (b) fishing vessels lost and (c) lives lost there were in the UK fishing industry during 2001.

David Jamieson: Provisional figures for UK fishing industry accidents reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch during 2001 are:
	(a) Fishing vessel accidents at sea 312;
	(b) Fishing vessel losses 33; and
	(c) Lives lost from fishing vessels 9.

Road Haulage

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total number and value of grants made under the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund is, broken down by nation or region.

David Jamieson: Decisions on spending in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the appropriate devolved Administration.
	DTLR manages £81.2 million of the £100 million Road Haulage Modernisation fund in England, and £2.9 million for increased enforcement effort in Great Britain.
	In England £52 million has been allocated in the first two years of the fund to four areas; retrofitting vehicles through the Clean Up scheme, fuel efficiency advice, driver training initiatives and a self help pilot scheme.

Starter Home Initiative (Worthing and Adur)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what bids for starter home initiative funding have been received from organisations in Worthing and Adur since the start of the scheme.

Sally Keeble: Two bids were submitted to help key workers in Worthing and Adur in response to the first bidding round for Starter Home Initiative funding. The bids proposed to help five key workers in Worthing and five in Adur and Horsham. Both bids were unsuccessful.
	The Round 2 bidding guidance issued on 16 January invites bids by 14 March 2002 to administer the Starter Home Initiative equity loan scheme to help key workers in a number of high demand areas. Adur and Worthing are not specifically targeted, but bids are sought to help 33 police in Sussex.

Starter Home Initiative (Worthing and Adur)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason no starter home initiative bids from organisations within Worthing and Adur were successful in the recent round.

Sally Keeble: Since the value of Round 1 bids far outweighed the available Starter Home Initiative (SHI) funding it was necessary to concentrate resources on the most cost effective bids in those areas where the need for the scheme was greatest. The main factors taken into account in making allocations were: the relative need for SHI based on house prices, incomes and assessments of recruitment and retention difficulties for key worker groups in different areas; and the cost effectiveness of competing bids. Taking into account all these factors, the two bids submitted for Worthing and Adur were unsuccessful.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what clinical evidence his Department has evaluated regarding mortality resulting from exposure to asbestos.

Alan Whitehead: Over the five years from 1996 to 2000 specialist chest and occupational physicians participating in the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) and the Occupational Physicians Reporting Activity (OPRA) schemes for the surveillance of occupational respiratory diseases have seen an estimated 4,046 cases of mesothelioma and 434 of lung cancer which they attributed to asbestos exposure, virtually all occupational. Nearly all these cases will eventually have been fatal.
	Not all such cases are seen by the SWORD/OPRA network, and the mesothelioma register records that a total of 7,123 people have died from this cause over the five years from 1995 to 1999 (data for 2000 not yet available). The epidemiological evidence suggests that almost all these will have been caused by asbestos

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Health and Safety Executive will produce confirmed pathology of mortality from handling asbestos cement in the UK in the last 30 years.

Alan Whitehead: It is not possible to confirm the source of asbestos leading to individual cases of asbestos- related disease.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent estimate he has made of the likely cost involved in compliance with the EU ban on white asbestos.

Alan Whitehead: When the Health and Safety Commission consulted in 1998 on draft regulations planned to implement the European Commission Directive banning the marketing and use of all types of asbestos, it carried out a regulatory impact assessment of the costs and benefits entailed.
	This assessment estimated that the total costs of regulation in the UK over 10 years would be between £191 million and £241 million. No more recent estimate of cost has been carried out.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Health and Safety Executive will produce confirmed pathology for cases of mesotheliomas linked to white asbestos for persons aged (a) under and (b) over 60 years of age.

Alan Whitehead: It is not possible to link individual cases reliably to particular types of asbestos.

Asbestos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what independent scientific reports have been used by the Health and Safety Executive in formulating their policy toward white asbestos; and which independent scientists have advised the Health and Safety Executive about the dangers of white asbestos.

Alan Whitehead: The Health and Safety Executive has over the years taken advice and commissioned research from a wide range of scientists working in this area. It has also kept the relevant scientific literature under review. In this context it has taken account of the conclusions of the following more recent key reports; Asbestos, Effects on Health of Exposure to Asbestos (Doll and Peto) 1995; Fibrous Materials in the Environment (Institute for Environment and Health) 1997; the 1998 World Health Organisation report on white asbestos; and the 2000 Hodgson and Darnton paper on the quantitative risks of mesothelioma and lung cancer in relation to asbestos exposure. All are published and copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House.

Firefighters (Vacancies)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish a list of vacancies for retained firefighters at each (a) fire station in West Sussex and East Sussex and (b) fire brigade area in England and Wales.

Alan Whitehead: The establishment and strength figures for retained firefighters are in the following table.
	
		
			   Establishment(20) Strength(20) 
		
		
			 Station   
			 (a) East Sussex Fire Brigade(21)   
			 Lewes 20 12 
			 Barcombe 12 11 
			 Newhaven 20 12 
			 Seaford 18 18 
			 The Ridge 12 9 
			 Forest Row 12 7 
			 Uckfield 20 16 
			 Crowborough 20 15 
			 Mayfield 12 7 
			 Wadhurst 18 11 
			 Burwash 12 10 
			 Battle 20 14 
			 Broad Oak 12 13 
			 Rye 18 16 
			 Heathfield 18 18 
			 Bexhill 20 16 
			 Pevensey 12 10 
			 Herstmonceux 12 9 
			 Hailsham 12 13 
			 Total 300 237 
			
			 West Sussex Fire Brigade(21)   
			 Worthing 19 10.75 
			 East Preston 20 10 
			 Lancing 20 11.5 
			 Findon 12 7.25 
			 Shoreham 17 6 
			 Arundel 12 8.75 
			 Littlehampton 20 17.25 
			 Crawley 13 12.25 
			 Partridge Green 12 6.25 
			 Steyning 12 10 
			 Horsham 13 12 
			 Billingshurst 12 7.5 
			 Storrington 20 12.5 
			 Selsey 12 8.5 
			 East Wittering 12 7.25 
			 Chichester 13 8.5 
			 Bosham 12 7.75 
			 Midhurst 16 12.75 
			 Bognor Regis 19 10.5 
			 Petworth 20 13.25 
			 Turners Hill 12 6.5 
			 East Grinstead 12 7.75 
			 Haywards Heath 12 7.5 
			 Burgess Hill 20 14.5 
			 Henfield 12 9.25 
			 Keymer 12 9 
			 Hirstpierpoint 12 7.25 
			 Total 398 262.25 
			
			 Brigade name   
			 (b) Retained Establishment & Strength in England & Wales(22)   
			 Avon 212 159.50 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 161 114.50 
			 Buckinghamshire 226 151.75 
			 Cambridgeshire 380 294.75 
			 Cheshire 182 146.00 
			 Cleveland 72 62.00 
			 Cornwall 425 406.50 
			 County Durham and Darlington 168 118.75 
			 Cumbria 474 369.75 
			 Derbyshire 360 231.25 
			 Devon 756 647.75 
			 Dorset 356 287.75 
			 East Sussex 300 200.50 
			 Essex 430 372.75 
			 Gloucestershire 306 257.00 
			 Greater Manchester 64 26.20 
			 Hampshire 616 545.75 
			 Hereford and Worcester 369 294.00 
			 Hertfordshire 276 212.25 
			 Humberside 328 275.75 
			 Isle of Wight 168 152.00 
			 Isles of Scilly 34 34.00 
			 Kent 714 494.23 
			 Lancashire 374 285.00 
			 Leicestershire 216 143.50 
			 Lincolnshire 495 412.50 
			 London 0 0.00 
			 Meseyside 0 0.00 
			 Mid and West Wales 713 659.75 
			 Norfolk 512 424.25 
			 North Wales 553 483.00 
			 North Yorkshire 368 331.25 
			 Northamptonshire 235 182.25 
			 Northumberland 155 151.75 
			 Nottinghamshire 252 202.25 
			 Oxfordshire 336 237.00 
			 Royal Berkshire 156 122.00 
			 Shropshire 284 249.25 
			 Somerset 390 350.75 
			 South Wales 447 252.40 
			 South Yorkshire 80 38.83 
			 Staffordshire 376 304.25 
			 Suffolk 426 351.50 
			 Surrey 144 103.25 
			 Tyne and Wear 24 17.50 
			 Warwickshire 166 148.75 
			 West Midlands 12 8.00 
			 West Sussex 398 271.75 
			 West Yorkshire 148 165.50 
			 Wiltshire 303 271.50 
			 Total 14,940 12,022.41 
		
	
	(20) In 24 hour units of cover (e.g. a firefighter contracted to provide 24 hour cover in any 24 hour period = one unit; or giving 12 hours = 0.50)
	(21) At 31 January 2002
	(22) At 31 March 2001

Flooding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will introduce proposals to make (a) the developer and (b) the planning authority responsible for (i) flood defences and (ii) buildings on flood plains which are subsequently flooded.

Sally Keeble: No. Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 issued in July 2001 already advises that flooding is a material planning consideration and that, where flood defences are needed because of a development, their provision and maintenance should be fully funded as part of the development. The report by the steering group for "The flood defence funding review" published on 13 February by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that it is difficult to justify replacing these arrangements before they have a chance to demonstrate their value.
	Developers are advised to carry out an assessment of the risk of flooding to their proposed development and its impact on flooding elsewhere and to submit this with the application for planning permission. Advised as necessary by the Environment Agency, a local planning authority should consider that assessment alongside other material planning considerations in determining whether permission should be granted. It is for purchasers to make such inquiries as they consider necessary to determine whether a property they are considering purchasing is at risk of flooding.

Road Detrunking Programme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who will monitor maintenance levels of local authority roads following the completion of the detrunking programme.

David Jamieson: Maintenance levels of local authority roads are monitored by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. This will continue to be the case after the completion of the detrunking programme.

Coalfield Regeneration Programme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of English Partnerships and their responsibility for the coalfield regeneration programme.

Sally Keeble: EPs' role and responsibility for the coalfields site programme is being considered along with their other functions as part of the review. An announcement will be made on the outcome of stage one of the review in the near future. However, there is no question of abandoning the proposed remediation of the 86 sites within the existing programme.

Housebuilding Targets

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on travel patterns of the housebuilding targets.

Stephen Byers: It is not this Government's policy to set housebuilding targets. The new annual rates of regional housing provision and their distribution are set through Regional Planning Guidance. These are kept under regular review by the regional planning bodies.
	The analysis carried out for the 10-year plan for transport included an adjustment to traffic levels, to reflect the expected impact of planning policies which aim to locate new development so as to reduce the need to travel.
	The model we are now developing will be able to estimate more accurately the travel impacts of different geographical patterns of household location.

Voting Systems

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the timing and structure of the proposed review of the new voting systems for the devolved administrations and the European Parliament and the report of the Jenkins Commission.

Alan Whitehead: In our manifesto, which sets out our intentions for this Parliament, we said we would review our experience of the new voting systems for the devolved Administrations, the European Parliament, and the London Assembly along with the recommendations of the Jenkins report to assess whether changes might be made to the electoral system for the House of Commons. That remains our intention. The timing and structure of any review has yet to be decided.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what the annual level of national housing revenue accounts load debt was in each year from 1997–98 to date; and what the capital financing costs of that debt were;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of paying off all local authority historic housing debt.

Sally Keeble: Local authority debt is held and managed centrally within each authority. For the purposes of determining the Housing Revenue Account's (HRA) contribution to the cost of overall debt, a notional level of HRA indebtedness is calculated each financial year. This is known as the HRA credit ceiling. The table sets out the HRA credit ceiling at the start of each financial year, together with the associated capital financing costs, for financial years 1997–98 to 2001–02:
	
		£ million 
		
			  HRA credit ceiling Capital financing costs 
		
		
			 2001–02 17,894 —(23) 
			 2000–01 18,426 1,894 
			 1999–2000 19,161 2,013 
			 1998–99 19,620 2,149 
			 1997–98 20,121 2,231 
		
	
	(23) No data available for 2001–02 at present, it is estimated to be £1,793 million.
	Repayment of an amount equivalent to the HRA credit ceiling will give rise to additional liabilities in respect of early redemption premiums, which will depend on the profile of each authority's own debt portfolio. It is therefore not possible to estimate the cost of repaying this debt.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the level of capital receipts from the sale of housing and other housing revenue assets was in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01.

Sally Keeble: The available information reported by local authorities is as set out:
	
		Gross housing capital receipts of local authorities: England -- £000
		
			   1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01(24) 
		
		
			 Sale of Fixed Assets 1,514,214 2,133,840 2,310,956 
			 Repayments of grants and advances 106,966 97,187 94,964 
			 Leasing disposals 9,208 17,840 27,144 
			 Total 1,630,387 2,248,867 2,433,065 
		
	
	(24) Figures for 2000–01 are provisional
	Note:
	Fixed Asset sales include housing stock sold under Right to Buy, and through Large Scale Voluntary Transfers (LSVTs).
	Source: DTLR Capital Outturn Return (COR) forms.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to permit local authorities to redirect funds originating in their housing revenue accounts to (a) set up arm's length housing management organisations and (b) direct investment in municipally owned housing.

Sally Keeble: It is a matter for authorities to determine how to use the resources available to them in their housing revenue account. Authorities which are proposing to establish an arm's length organisation (ALMO) to manage their stock may apply for additional resources. If they are successful and meet the necessary standard, those resources are expected to be targeted on investment in the authority's stock. We have provided resources to enable additional investment of £460 million by ALMOs over the next two years.

Political Parties (Policy Development Grants)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the amount of state funding the Labour Party will receive from the policy development grant in the next four years;
	(2)  how much each political party in receipt of policy development grant is projected to receive in the forthcoming year.

Alan Whitehead: The calculation of the amount of policy development grant to be allocated in any one year to eligible parties, including the Labour Party, as provided for by the Scheme set out in the Schedule to The Elections (Policy Development Grants Scheme) Order 2002, is a matter for the Electoral Commission.

Political Parties (Policy Development Grants)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many press notices his Department has issued mentioning policy development grant since his Department received responsibility for electoral and political party regulation.

Alan Whitehead: None.

Transport Multi-Modal Studies

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what transport multi-modal studies are (a) completed, (b) in progress and (c) planned; what their (i) expected publication date and (ii) location is; and which he has (1) accepted and (2) rejected.

David Jamieson: The multi-modal studies that have reported are as follows:
	
		
			 Multi-modal study and location Reported 
		
		
			 Access to Hastings Reported December 2000. Decision announced in July 2001 
			 Cambridge to Huntingdon (A14) Reported 20 August 2001. Decision announced in December 2001 
			 South east Manchester (Stockport, Manchester airport link west, Poynton) Reported September 2001 
			 West midlands area (M5/M6 and M42 between M40 and M6) Reported October 2001 
		
	
	The following multi-modal studies are currently in progress:
	
		
			 Multi-modal study and location  Recommendations/report to RPB 
		
		
			 West midlands to north west (M6) January 2002—recommendations to RPB. Final report due March 2002 
			 Hull (east/west) corridor (A63 and A1033 to port of Hull) End April 2002 
			 London to south west and south Wales (A303, M4) May 2002 
			 A1 (north of Newcastle) May 2002 
			 Tyneside area (A1/A19) May 2002 
			 South and west Yorkshire motorway box (M1 J30 to A1 west Yorkshire/M18/M62 and A1(M) June 2002 
			 A453 (M1 to J24 (Nottingham) April 2002 
			 North/south movements in the east midlands (M1 junctions 21 to 30) March 2002 
			 South coast (Southampton to Folkestone coastal corridor)—(M27, A27 and A259) Spring/summer 2002 
			 Thames valley (London to Reading—M4) Summer/autumn 2002 
			 M60 junction 12–18 (west to north Manchester) Summer 2002 
			 ORBIT—Transport Solutions Around London (M25) Autumn 2002 
			 London to Ipswich (A12) July 2002 
			 London to south midlands (A1, M1, M11, A5 and A421) December 2002 
			 Norwich to Peterborough (A47) February 2003 
			 West midlands to east midlands (A42/M42 to M6 corridor and M69 and A38) April 2003 
		
	
	The final two multi-modal studies have yet to commence. Dates have yet to be confirmed although we would expect these to report by end of 2003/early 2004:
	Multi-modal study and location
	A52 (Clifton bridge to Bingham, Nottinghamshire)
	A34 (North from Southampton).

Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason he used his powers under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Local Government Act 1992 to introduce the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001; and whether the regulations could have been enacted under the powers granted to him by the Local Government Act 2000.

Alan Whitehead: The Secretary of State used the powers in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Local Government Act 1992 to make the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 (the 2001 Regulations) because they were specific powers that enabled him to achieve what was needed. The powers in the Local Government Act 2000 are more general powers but they are not wide enough to enable the making of all the provisions which are included in the 2001 Regulations.

KCC Speed Interactive

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 1111W, on KCC speed interactive signs, if he will indicate when later in the year might be.

David Jamieson: We cannot say when until the analysis has been completed and conclusions drawn.

Road Traffic Accidents (Mud)

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance is issued by his Department to farmers and landowners regarding their duty of care relating to mud on road surfaces; what plans he has to publish a code of practice for farmers and landowners clarifying their liability in road traffic accidents where mud is cited as a contributory factor to the hazardous road condition; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The National Farmers Union already issues guidance to farmers and landowners about preventing the dropping of mud onto the road surface which they are currently in the process of updating. I have no plans for my Department to duplicate this guidance.
	There are specific regulations aimed against mud being dropped onto the highway. Sections 148 and 161(1) of the Highways Act 1980 make it an offence to deposit anything, including mud and manure, on roads. Section 149 of the Highways Act 1980 enables highway authorities to take action against anyone who deposits anything on the highway that constitutes a nuisance or danger. Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 makes it an offence to cause anything to be left on the road if it would be obvious to a reasonable person that to do so would be dangerous.

High Hedges

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 884W, on high hedges, when he estimates there will be space in the parliamentary timetable for such legislation.

Sally Keeble: The Government's legislative programme is set out in each successive Queen's Speech. I cannot therefore anticipate the timing of Government legislation on high hedges.

Business Tenancies (Reform)

Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will announce his conclusions on his Department's consultation paper on the reform of business tenancies in England and Wales.

Sally Keeble: I have placed a paper setting out our conclusions on the consultation exercise in the Library of the House. We are also making it available on my Department's website.
	We are still considering issues raised from the separate consultation of section 57 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and will make a further announcement in due course.

Emergency Planning

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions since 11 September 2001, what assessments have taken place on the capability of regional and city disaster plans and the engagement of the (a) emergency planning committees, (b) police service, (c) fire brigade, (d) ambulance service, (e) hospitals and NHS trusts, (f) St. John Ambulance, (g) British Red Cross, (h) Territorial Army, (i) armed forces and (j) local authorities in these plans.

Christopher Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
	As the Prime Minister told the House on 8 October, since the terrible events of 11 September every one or our arrangements has been under scrutiny. For security reasons the Government do not publish contingency plans or the operational and procedural matters relating to them.
	Local authorities have a power to plan and work together with other local agencies to formulate locally based, multi-agency emergency planning arrangements. Mutual aid arrangements will draw resources from further afield if necessary. Although the process started before 11 September, the Government are reviewing the Future of Emergency Planning in England and Wales. A summary of the responses to this consultation has been placed in the Library and on the Cabinet Office website (www.ukresilience).
	The Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office maintains regular contact with local authority representatives, the emergency services, emergency planning officers and others involved in handling civil emergencies.

Indonesia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information she has received concerning the deployment of British-made Stormer armoured vehicles to Aceh, Indonesia; and what representations on that subject he has made to the Indonesian Government.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The British Embassy in Jakarta received information that three Stormer armoured personnel carriers were being used to provide protective transport for visitors to the Indonesian Army Headquarters in Lhokseumawe, Aceh. Our Defence Attaché in Jakarta took the matter up immediately with the Indonesian authorities. He expressed concern that this was in breach of Indonesian Government assurances that British built equipment would not be used in Aceh. They admitted that a mistake had been made and offered renewed assurances about the use of British built equipment in Indonesia. The Defence Attaché later confirmed that the Stormer vehicles had been removed from Aceh.

NORTHERN IRELAND

IRA (Police Investigations)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what police investigations are in progress into alleged criminal activities and murders by the Provisional IRA in 1972 in County Londonderry.

Jane Kennedy: The police investigations into serious crimes in County Londonderry in 1972 where no persons have been prosecuted remain open. The investigations are constantly reviewed and, should any evidence or information come to light, appropriate action will be taken to apprehend the suspects.

Criminal Damage

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of criminal damage against (a) police stations and (b) police vehicles in Northern Ireland were reported in 2000.

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable has advised me that the number of attacks on police stations and mobile patrols, as a result of terrorism or public disorder, in 2000 was (a) police stations: eight (b) police vehicles: 1,339.

Criminal Assault (Fireworks)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of criminal assault were recorded in each year since 1997 in Northern Ireland relating to the use of fireworks.

Jane Kennedy: The statistics requested are not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. The misuse of fireworks in such circumstances is one of the areas of concern being addressed in the fireworks review, which I announced on 12 October 2001.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Bland Judgment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases the courts have (a) considered and (b) agreed to the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration for patients in a persistent vegetative state since the Bland judgment.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The courts have, since the Bland judgment in 1993, considered 29 such cases in respect of people in a permanent vegetative state, and on each occasion have issued a declaration authorising the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration.

Civilian Court Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether civilian enforcement officers employed by magistrates courts committees have direct access to the police national computer for the purposes of (a) entering and (b) reading data; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Civilian Enforcement Officers do not have direct access to the Police National Computer (PNC) for purposes of either entering or reading data.
	The Lord Chancellor's officials, in consultation with representatives from magistrates courts committees, are currently preparing an application to the Police Information Technology Organisation to enable court staff to have direct access to PNC for enforcement purposes.

Court Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether targets are set in respect of the time taken to execute warrants on individuals who have not complied with criminal court orders; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Lead responsibility of the execution of financial warrants and community breach warrants was transferred from the police to the magistrates courts committees on 1 April 2001. No targets were set for execution of these warrants during the first year of operation to enable baseline data to be collected. I will shortly be announcing targets for execution of both financial and non-financial warrants for 2002–03.

Court Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what procedures exist for dealing with the execution of a warrant in respect of an individual who has breached a community court order if that individual is deemed to be a high risk to the public; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Warrants issued in respect of an individual who has breached a community penalty order may be executed by civilian enforcement officers employed by magistrates courts committees, by staff of approved enforcement agencies working under contract to magistrates courts committees or by the police. The National Framework Agreement agreed between the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office, sets out the arrangements for execution of warrants in respect of individuals who have breached a community court order. Where there is a risk of violence or disorder, the person executing the warrant may request police assistance. If the probation service or youth offending team identifies an individual as high risk to the public they would normally ask the police or the enforcement officer or agency to give execution of the warrant a high priority.

Court Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether magistrates courts committees can execute warrants in respect of non-compliance of criminal court order if the individual concerned moves to Scotland.

Michael Wills: Where an offender has moved to Scotland, the execution of warrants in respect of non-compliance with a criminal court order is the responsibility of the police in Scotland.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 255W, what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) his Department, (b) his agencies and (c) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997.

Michael Wills: In the written answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 255W, I confirmed that the Lord Chancellor's Department has owned no empty properties in the last four years. The Court Service and the Northern Ireland Court Service have owned a total of 17 properties which have empty at some point over the last four years. In all cases these buildings were empty only while being marketed for sale, except in one case where the building was empty prior to conversion. The total area in square feet of the empty properties in each of the last four financial years is shown in the table:
	
		
			 Period Total area (square feet) 
		
		
			 1997–98 38,929.07 
			 1998–99 45,841.95 
			 1999–2000 51,526.82 
			 2000–01 61,108.90

Departmental Expenditure Limits

David Crausby: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans there are to change the (a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limits for 2001–02.

Rosie Winterton: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the Lord Chancellor's Departments (including Northern Ireland Court Service and Public Records Office) DEL will be increased by £89,792,000 from £2,871,573,000 to £2,961,365,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £31,308,000 from £684,425,000 to £715,733,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
	
		£000 
		
			  LCD NICtS PRO Total 
		
		
			 Resources 
			 Change 85,181 -3,378 4,750 86,553 
			 New DEL 2,798,549 78,622 32,345 2,909,516 
			 of which: 
			 Voted 2,709,690 73,082 32,345 2,815,117 
			 Non-voted 88,859 5,540 0 94,399 
			 Capital 
			 Change -3,672 6,561 350 3,239 
			 New DEL 37,894 12,561 1,394 51,849 
			 of which: 
			 Voted 30,094 12,561 1,394 49,049 
			 Non-voted 7,800 — — 7,800 
		
	
	The change in the resource element of the DEL is the net effect of take-up of £60,000,000 from the Asylum Reserve; draw-down of £226,000 administration costs from the Invest to Save Budget; transfer of £7,000,000 (administration costs) from Northern Ireland Court Service; reduction of Departmental Unallocated Provision of £12,208,000, of which £4,674,000 is administration costs; transfers from the Home Office in respect of: Machinery of Government changes, £2,371,000, of which £121,000 is administration costs; CJS Reserve entitlement, £1,241,000 administration costs, and other projects, £207,000 of which £83,000 is administration costs; a total transfer from the Department of Health in respect of various projects in the sum of £164,000 of which £123,000 is administration costs; transfer to the Department of Trade and Industry of £50,000; transfers from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions of £512,000 administration costs; transfer to the Public Record Office of £300,000 administration costs; a reduction of £436,000 administration costs arising from an adjustment of incorrect recording of NAO fees; take-up of £27,000,000 from the Reserve of which £5,000,000 is administration costs to the Public Guardianship Office; a transfer of £10,000,000 to LCDHQ administration costs in accordance with the Chief Secretary of the Treasury's letter to the Lord Chancellor of 14 February 2002; and a transfer of £5,100,000 administration costs from capital.
	The decrease in the Northern Ireland Court Service's resource element of DEL is the net effect of a transfer of £7,000,000 of RfR1 administration costs to the LCD; a transfer from the Northern Ireland Office of £2,200,000 into RfR1 administration and End Year Flexibility draw-down of £1,442,000.
	The change in the Public Record Office resource element of DEL arises from the take-up of £4,200,000 End Year Flexibility, £250,000 in respect of the Modernising Government initiative and a transfer of £300,000 administration costs from LCD.
	The change in the capital element of the DEL is the net effect of a transfer from the Home Office of £307,000 in respect of the Capital Modernisation Fund; drawdown of £65,000 from the Invest to Save Budget; a transfer of £5,000,000 to the Northern Ireland Court Service; and a transfer of £5,100,000 to LCDHQ administration costs.
	The change in the Northern Ireland Court Service's capital element of DEL arises from take-up of End Year Flexibility entitlement of £1,561,000 and a transfer of £5,000,000 from LCD.
	The change in the Public Record Office capital element of DEL arises from the take-up of £350,000 End Year Flexibility entitlement.
	The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers, increases to Appropriations in Aid, take-up of End Year Flexibility entitlements and a charge to the DEL Reserve and will therefore not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

CAP Payments (North Yorkshire)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department expects to contribute to farmers in North Yorkshire this year in CAP payments; and how many farms will receive payments.

Elliot Morley: The latest available CAP scheme payments made to farmers in North Yorkshire, and the number of farms paid under each scheme are:
	
		
			 CAP scheme and year(25) Amount paid (£) Number of farms paid 
		
		
			 Arable Area Payment Scheme (2001) (26)46,821,495 2,897 
			 Beef Special Premium Scheme (2001) (27)4,584,681 2,791 
			 Veal and Calf Slaughter Premium Scheme (2000) 53.25 3 
			 Slaughter Premium Scheme (2000) 2,292,063 2,135 
			 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme (2000) 4,439,554 1,304 
			 Extensification Payment Scheme (2000) 3,343,953 1,495 
			 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme (2000) 12,046,965 1,658 
			 Hill Farm Allowance (2001) 6,607,832 1,894 
		
	
	(25) Figures from latest available scheme year
	(26) After modulation
	(27) Before modulation
	The total number of farms paid cannot be provided as the same farm may be covered by more than one of the CAP schemes.

Regional Food

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 90W, ref. 32897, if she will list the activities being pursued in the eastern region.

Elliot Morley: We do not hold centrally information on all the regional food chain supply and marketing initiatives carried out by Government and Government funded organisations in the eastern region. However, through 'Food From Britain' and the Countryside Agency, the Government have contributed to the funding of the Regional Food Group, 'Taste of Anglia'. These funds have been used to provide various business support and promotional activities including, "Meet the Buyer" events, the publication of regional food and drink guides, attendance at local, regional and national shows, the holding of workshops and seminars and the promotion of farmers markets.
	A number of projects in the eastern region involving the processing and marketing of food have been awarded grants under the rural enterprise scheme and the processing and marketing grant scheme which form part of the England rural development programme. Producers and processors in the eastern region may also benefit from some of the national projects funded under the agricultural development scheme.

Waste Disposal

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take action to make doorstep recycling available throughout the United Kingdom.

Michael Meacher: Recycling is a matter for the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, approximately 43 per cent. of households receive this service and we expect the number to increase greatly. The Government have set statutory performance standards for all local authorities, which will triple the recycling and composting of household waste in the five years to 2005–06. Each authority will decide how best to meet these targets, taking into account local circumstances, but the Government encourage them to introduce or extend kerbside collection of recyclable waste, where this is environmentally and economically the best option.
	The Government also found significant new resources for English local authorities in the last spending review, both in the general settlement and a separate fund of £140 million for the waste minimisation and recycling fund. The Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government have also found extra resources for recycling.
	The New Opportunities Fund has also identified £50 million for the UK to support community sector waste minimisation, re-use and recycling schemes, which may include kerbside schemes.

Industrial Action

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: During 2001–02, 16,201 days were lost owing to industrial action by PCS staff in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies.
	During 1998–99, 1999–2000, and 2000–01, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the agencies which are now part of DEFRA did not lose any days owing to industrial action by staff.
	In the time available and given the number of NDPBs for which DEFRA is responsible, it is not possible to confirm the position for all NDPBs at reasonable cost.

Health and Safety (Computers)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to (a) current and (b) new staff.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA was created in June 2001. Statistics covering staff currently in DEFRA but previously in the DETR or the Home Office are not available prior to that date. Under the current contract arrangements—which have been in place since 1 May 2000—1,399 members of staff to date have taken up the provision of a free eye test.
	Full scheme details are accessible via the Department's intranet Health and Safety website. The service is advertised using a variety of office notice systems (electronic and hard-copy), regular reminders on the intranet, and is also detailed in a variety of departmental health and safety booklets which are given to new entrants by personnel and line managers.

Future of Farming and Food

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the cost of printing and publishing the report of the Policy Commission on the future of farming and food; how many copies have been printed; what arrangements have been made for distribution of hard copies of the report to the public; what is the ISBN number of the report; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 February 2002
	I understand that the cost of printing and publishing the report of the independent Policy Commission on the future of farming and food, was £5,650. This was for the initial printing of 2,500 copies. To meet demand, a further 2,000 copies are being printed at a cost of £3,995. The report does not have an ISBN number. Though the Commission's report was to the Government, the Commission sent copies of the report to all those involved in the consultation exercise, and have made it publicly available on their website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/ farming. Copies are available free of charge from my Department.
	Copies of the report have also been placed in the House Libraries and the Vote Office.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reasons underlie the differences in the percentage levels of designations to Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in England, Scotland and Wales; for what reason the criteria used for the designation of rivers has changed since 1996; what consultation there was with the agricultural sector on this change; what representations she has received on the financial impact on farmers who are to implement this directive; and if she will give financial assistance to enable them to do so.

Michael Meacher: The difference in the scale of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) proposed in England, Scotland and Wales are due mainly to differences in rainfall, the pattern and intensity of agricultural activity, and the nature of the soil and geology.
	Changes have been made to the criteria for identifying nitrate polluted rivers and other waters, so as to protect the water environment and not just drinking water supplies. These changes, and changes to the methodology used to identify areas for designation as NVZs, are based on legal advice about the requirements of the Nitrates Directive following a European Court of Justice decision in December 2000 that the UK had failed to implement the directive properly.
	DEFRA is currently consulting on proposals to implement the Nitrates Directive, through the consultation document "How should England implement the 1991 Nitrates Directive" published on 20 December 2001. One of the options is to designate new NVZs, and the new methodology on which this option is based is set out in the consultation document.
	Representations about the financial impact on farmers are being received in response to the consultation and are being collated and analysed at the moment. It is intended to extend the farm waste grant scheme to the new areas where farmers will be required to implement measures to tackle nitrate pollution under the directive. This will make financial assistance available to those farmers facing the most significant compliance costs, in particular for the construction of new slurry storage. The grant rate is currently 40 per cent. (the EU State Aid Rules maximum) for construction or upgrade of storage facilities up to an investment ceiling of £85,000. We are currently considering offering 50 per cent. in less favoured areas, as permitted by the EU State Aid Rules. From experience in current NVZs, the average cost of new slurry storage construction to comply with Action Programme measures is between £30,000 and £40,000.

Farm Business Statistics

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of registered holdings which are farmed by people other than the owner or tenant under (a) contract farming, (b) share farming and (c) similar arrangements; and what the proportion was (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago.

Elliot Morley: We have no reliable data to show the proportion of registered holdings which are farmed by people other than the owner or tenant under contract farming arrangements.
	So far as share farming is concerned the Farm Business Survey for 2000–01 showed that 35 of the 2,183 'full-time' farm businesses surveyed in England were involved in share farming. This is equivalent to 1.6 per cent. of the farm businesses in the survey.
	Results from the June 2000 census (which included full and part-time holdings) in England showed that 0.7 per cent. of respondents were involved in share farming, and the total area share farmed was 1.0 per cent. of the respondents' total area. No data on share farming are available for five or 10 years ago.
	We have no data for holdings farmed under similar arrangements.

Farm Practices (Archaeological Sites)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect buried archaeological treasures from farming practices which might disturb them.

Elliot Morley: The objectives of our agri-environment schemes include conserving areas which demonstrate their history and to protect important features and major earthworks by measures such as low intensity grazing, scrub control and by converting cultivated land to pasture. A number of scheme options support those objectives.
	In recognition of the threat to archaeological sites in intensively farmed landscapes, DEFRA has commissioned a research project from the Oxford Archaeological Unit to investigate the impact of arable management on buried archaeological sites. Their report, which is expected in the next few months, will contribute to the development of best practice guidelines for managing archaeological features in arable landscapes, while retaining land, where possible, in production.
	These initiatives add to the existing legal protection for archaeological features that are formally recognised. Steps have also been taken to encourage the voluntary reporting of all archaeological finds.

Environment Agency Committees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost was of the advertisements for the chairmen of the Environment Agency Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee; and in which publications advertisements were placed.

Elliot Morley: In total advertising costs for the most recent Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee Chair appointment exercise was £10,200. Advertisements were placed in The Times, The Sunday Times and The Anglers Mail and also appeared on the Department's website.

Farm Subsidy Claims

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 249–50W, on farm subsidy claims, how the Government intend to implement the new penalty structure; and what progress the RPA has made in amending its policy to reflect this change in the regulations.

Elliot Morley: The new penalty structure for IACS is set out in detail in Commission Regulation No. 2419/2001, which came into force on 1 January and is directly applicable in the UK. IACS claims made during the course of this scheme year will be dealt with in accordance with the new penalty provisions.
	The RPA is in the process of finalising scheme literature for distribution to claimants explaining the new penalty provisions in respect of the various IACS schemes. A supplement to the IACS Booklet will be issued in late March and the other specific scheme literature will be updated and issued at the usual times during the course of the year.

Departmental Retirement Ages

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of her Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Elliot Morley: As at 1 January, there were 13,990 permanent, casual and fixed-term contract staff employed by the Department and the agencies. Of these, 7,384 staff were of Executive Officer (or equivalent grade) and above. These grades normally retire at age 60. There were 6,606 staff in Administrative Officer, Administrative Assistant and Support grades. These staff are subject to a maximum retirement age of 65.
	Staff may be retained beyond normal retirement age for short periods where there is a specific business need (this might, for example, be to complete a particular task or to cover the time until a replacement arrives). Flexible early retirement may be offered if the Department needs to resolve a structural problem.

Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire dated 18 March and 18 June, concerning Mr. A. Tabbenor of Brooklands, Barnes Lane, Youlgrave, Derbyshire, and his suckler cow premium;
	(2)  when she will reply to the letters dated 18 March and 18 June from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire concerning Mr. A. Tabbenor of Brooklands, Youlgrave, in Derbyshire and his suckler cow premium.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 December 2001
	A response to the hon. Member's letters of 18 March and 18 June 2001 was sent on 10 February 2002.

Correspondence

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 801W, when she will reply to the letter from the Surrey County Agricultural Society dated 16 January regarding the showing of animals at the county show that will take place on 3 June.

Elliot Morley: We have no record of having received the letter from the Surrey County Agricultural Society dated 17 January referred to by the hon. Member.

Recreational Craft Directive

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what agreement was reached at the Council of Ministers' meeting on 29 October on amendments to the recreational craft directive, with particular reference to exhaust noise emissions levels.

Michael Meacher: At the Council of Ministers' meeting on 29 October, political agreement on a common position was reached on the amendment to Directive 94/25/EC laying down limit values for exhaust and noise emissions from new recreational craft placed on the Community market. The Council agreed limit values at the levels proposed by the European Commission in COM(2000) 639 dated 12 October 2000. Particularly in relation to noise emissions, agreement was reached on less costly methods of demonstrating compliance. Overall the agreement represented a reasonable balance between achieving challenging environmental objectives while minimising the cost to small and medium-sized business and individuals.

Common Agricultural Policy

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on administering the Common Agricultural Policy in the United Kingdom, and what proportion of total CAP spending in the UK was paid to farmers in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: We estimate the cost of administering CAP market support measures throughout the UK to have been £78 million in the financial year 2000–01. We estimate the cost of administering direct support measures in England in that year to have been £52 million. The administration of direct payments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved Ministers.
	The following table gives estimates of (a) expenditure on CAP market support measures and (b) direct payments to the agriculture sector under the CAP in the UK in the last five years. It is not possible to calculate how much of the expenditure on market support was paid to farmers, as traders can also be eligible. Almost all the direct payments will have gone to farmers.
	
		£ million 
		
			   Of which: 
			  Total expenditure under the CAP Expenditure on CAP market support measures Expenditure on CAP direct payments to the agriculture sector 
		
		
			 1996–97 4,278 1,621 2,657 
			 1997–98 3,546 1,281 2,265 
			 1998–99 3,455 1,013 2,443 
			 1999–2000 3,131 710 2,421 
			 2000–01 2,977 665 2,312 
		
	
	Note:
	The final column includes expenditure on HLCAs and LFAs.

Animal Movements (Restrictions)

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the financial losses incurred by UK farmers through animal movement restrictions preventing transport to market until after stock had passed 30 months of age.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 15 February 2002
	It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of these losses. There are no statistics available to identify the number of cattle that entered the over thirty months scheme as a result of the movement restrictions introduced to control the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Departmental Payments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the instances in which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01.

Elliot Morley: All departments are committed to pay 100 per cent. of correctly presented invoices on time, however payment terms may vary between departments and suppliers. For the financial year 2000–01 DEFRA and its agencies paid 93.9 per cent. of invoices on time. The failure has been cut by 4.4 per cent. since 1999–00.
	Note:
	248,083 invoices were paid in 2000–01 of which 15,054 were paid late. These are not readily presentable in a list without disproportionate cost.

Foot and Mouth

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press releases were issued about foot and mouth disease between 19 February and 18 March 2001; and how many refer to an epidemic.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 5 February 2002
	Between 19 February and 18 March 2001, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food issued 17 press releases. The word epidemic was not used in any of them.

Foot and Mouth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what samples were kept for further investigation of those animals slaughtered on suspicion during the recent foot and mouth outbreak.

Elliot Morley: As at 19 February 2002, samples had been taken on 331 Slaughter on Suspicion (SOS) premises to investigate the presence of foot and mouth virus.
	Sample types included the following material:
	epithelium from the feet and mouth
	blood
	Probang samples.
	Many samples used for diagnosis during the outbreak remain in storage at the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright, but we are informed that to identify how many of these samples were originally from SOS premises would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

New Potatoes

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the derivation, by country, of UK cultivated new potatoes; and what measures are in place to ensure the accurate labelling of early new potatoes entering the retail chain.

Elliot Morley: Only those seed potatoes which have been produced in EU member states or in Switzerland are permitted to enter the UK and be planted here. These measures are laid down in the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1993 (as amended) and in the Plant Health Order (Northern Ireland) 1993 (as amended). However, information on the seed varieties imported is not available so it is not possible to distinguish between those destined for early and ware production.
	As far as labelling is concerned, the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 require only the variety of potato to be mentioned on the label.

Rural Land Register

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on data gathering and database design for the Rural Land Register; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: A contract was awarded on 8 November 2001 to a consortium to capture and digitise all land parcels registered under the Integrated Administration and Control System. The work is in progress and is due to be completed by December 2003. A prototype of the database to hold the digitised field data has been prepared and will be further developed over the coming months.

Cameraria Ohridella

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 477W, on cameraria ohridella, if she will state (a) how close cameraria ohridella has spread towards the UK and on what date this was, (b) what the rate of spread towards the United Kingdom is and (c) what action the Government plan to take to prevent transmission across the channel; and whether she estimates that the disease is likely to have spread to the UK by the spring.

Elliot Morley: Since it was first detected in Macedonia in 1985, cameraria ohridella has spread rapidly across Europe and is now present in the Netherlands where it was found in 1999 and in France and Belgium where it was found in 2000.
	Although the natural rate of spread of the moth is quite low, passive carriage on vehicles from infested areas is a highly effective and speedy means of dispersal, which explains the recent expansion of range across Europe. Because of this, it is not considered practicable to try to prevent its spread through the imposition of phytosanitary controls. Transmission to Britain is considered highly likely, although it is not possible at this stage to estimate when this might happen.
	As I indicated previously, in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) on 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 362W, the Forestry Commission will shortly publish an exotic pest alert which will be sent to foresters, local authority tree experts and others. In addition to providing a colour-illustrated guide to the biology and symptoms of the moth, it will ask readers to report any sightings so that these can be investigated without delay.
	May I also draw the hon. Member's attention to the Forest Research Annual Report for 2000–01 (HC 247), copies of which are in the Library of the House. The report gives a detailed account of the information known to date about this pest, an assessment of the level of threat posed to this country and the control options that have been assessed.

Union Duties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: In the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies, 378 staff have received paid leave to undertake union duties throughout 2001–02. During 1998–99, 1999–2000, and 2000–01, the figures for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food totalled 230, 364 and 389 respectively.
	During each of these years, up to 25 days was available to each union representative to undertake trade union activities although the average claimed was less.
	From the information received annually over the 1 April to 30 March period, the cost to public funds has been £431,990 during 1998–99; £438,753 during 1999–2000, and £439,130 during 2000–01 based on full salary cost. Figures for the 2001–02 financial year are not yet available.
	In the time available and given the number of NDPBs for which DEFRA is responsible, it is not possible to confirm the position for all NDPBs at reasonable cost.

Fish Quotas

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) overall and (b) cumulative change in fish quotas available to UK regional fishing vessels for the past five years has been according to (i) sector and (ii) species.

Elliot Morley: The following table gives the UK quota figures for the past five years organised by species and ICES fishing areas:
	
		UK quota 1998–2002 by species
		
			 Stock 1998 UK quota 1999 U quota 2000 UK quota 2001 UK quota 2002 UK quota 
		
		
			 Sandeel IIa North Sea 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 17,794 
			 Herring I, II 113,000 25,190 24,210 16,460 16,460 
			 Herring IVa,b 38,910 40,570 40,570 40,570 38,169 
			 Herring IVc, VIId 1,700 1,693 1,693 1,693 4,094 
			 Herring Vb, VIaN, VIb 46,360 39,240 24,990 21,570 21,571 
			 Herring VIa (Clyde) 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 
			 Herring VIIa 6,660 4,880 3,960 5,100 3,550 
			 Herring VIIe,f 500 500 500 500 500 
			 Herring VIIg-k 30 30 30 30 10 
			 Herring IIa North Sea industrial by-catch — 550 660 660 660 
			 Cod I, lib 2,789 2,034 1,650 — — 
			 Cod IIa, IV 58,740 56,260 34,360 18,930 19,397 
			 Cod Vb, VI, XII, XIV 5,520 5,960 3,530 2,222 2,960 
			 Cod VIIa 2,045 1,585 605 895 1,378 
			 Cod VIIb-k, VIII, IX, X 1,660 1,570 1,330 870 712 
			 Megrim IIa North Sea — 2,880 2,880 2,600 2,599 
			 Megrim Vb, VI, XII, XIV 1,520 1,520 1,520 1,370 1,367 
			 Megrim VII 3,210 3,210 2,570 2,150 1,874 
			 Dab and Flounder IIa North Sea — 2,590 2,590 2,330 2,331 
			 Anglers IIa North Sea — 17,960 14,370 11,495 8,545 
			 Anglers Vb, VI, XII, XIV 2,650 2,650 2,460 1,975 1,513 
			 Anglers VII 4,800 4,800 4,140 3,870 3,295 
			 Haddock IIa, IV 66,000 57,045 53,045 41,780 59,805 
			 Haddock Vb, CI, XII, XIV 20,710 15,110 15,110 10,820 10,992 
			 Haddock VII, VIII, IX, X 2,000 2,200 1,320 1,200 830 
			 Haddock VIIa (additional to haddock VII) — 2,390 1,629 1,293 622 
			 Whiting IIa, IV 27,415 24,590 19,470 13,335 18,853 
			 Whiting Vb, VI, XII, XIV 5,805 4,060 2,775 2,580 2,157 
			 Whiting VIIa 1,930 1,720 1,020 685 443 
			 Whiting VIIb-k 2,900 2,680 2,410 2,250 3,402 
			 Hake IIa, IV 370 350 270 160 170 
			 Hake Vb, VI, VII, XII, XIV 5,960 5,550 4,240 2,500 2,662 
			 Blue whiting IIa, IV 1,070 1,070 1,070 1,070 592 
			 Blue whiting Vb, VI, VII, XII, XIV — 35,000 38,030 45,350 25,032 
			 Blue whiting VIIIabde — 7,241 7,241 7,241 4,004 
			 Lemon sole IIa North Sea — 7,330 7,330 6,580 5,937 
			 Nephrops IIa, IV 13,165 13,165 14,895 13,380 14,398 
			 Nephrops Vb, VI 12,305 12,305 12,305 11,070 11,072 
			 Nephrops VII 7,545 7,545 6,885 6,200 5,856 
			 Northern prawn IIa, IV — 1,948 1,948 1,778 1,074 
			 Plaice IIa, IV 23,880 28,070 26,810 21,780 20,808 
			 Plaice Vb, VI, XII, XIV 1,450 1,450 1,450 1,170 1,050 
			 Plaice VIIa 885 885 885 835 1,223 
			 Plaice VIId,e 1,660 2,150 1,890 1,750 1,946 
			 Plaice VIIf,g 250 205 185 180 119 
			 Plaice VIIh,j,k 170 170 170 150 146 
			 Pollack Vb, VI, XII, XIV 400 400 400 400 403 
			 Pollack VII 2,960 2,960 2,960 2,960 2,964 
			 Saithe IIa, III, IV 7,790 8,830 6,820 6,980 10,838 
			 Saithe Vb, VI, XII, XIV 3,425 3,125 3,080 3,255 3,211 
			 Saithe VII, VIII, IX, X 1,350 1,350 970 805 1,340 
			 Turbot and brill IIa North Sea — 1,390 1,390 1,110 1,042 
			 Skates and rays IIa North Sea — 3,920 3,920 3,128 3,136 
			 Mackerel IIa (EC), III, IV 1,390 1,390 1,540 1,580 1,611 
			 Mackerel IIa (non-EC), Vb, VI, VII, VIIIabde, XII, XIV 179,590 165,480 193,240 197,069 201,647 
			 Sole II, IV 820 945 945 815 686 
			 Sole Vb, VI, XII, XIV 30 30 30 30 25 
			 Sole VIIa 200 200 240 240 244 
			 Sole VIId 1,005 905 790 885 1,000 
			 Sole VIIe 395 410 385 355 309 
			 Sole VIIf,g 240 270 325 285 301 
			 Sole VIIh,j,k 120 120 120 110 138 
			 Sprat II, IV 4,950 5,900 8,350 8,350 8,348 
			 Sprat VIId,e 6,300 6,300 6,300 6,300 6,300 
			 Spurdog IIa, IV — 7,177 7,177 7,177 5,745 
			 Horse mackerel IIa North Sea 5,530 5,840 4,960 4,960 4,960 
			 Horse mackerel Vb, VI, VII, VIIIabde, XII, XIV 30,700 25,310 22,850 22,850 14,026

Veterinary Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will extend the role of the temporary veterinary inspector towards a territorial army of vets.

Elliot Morley: The Department is currently evaluating future arrangements for the engagement of temporary veterinary resources. This will, among other issues, encompass an examination of the current terms and conditions for the engagement of temporary veterinary inspectors (TVIs).

Veterinary Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Government- funded training is available for private veterinary surgeons to ensure that they have access to knowledge about animal disease.

Elliot Morley: Private veterinarians are appointed as local veterinary inspectors (LVIs) by the Department in order to carry out specific functions.
	Part of the appointment process involves departmental training in those areas to which the appointment relates. The objectives of such training are to improve the ability and performance of the LVI in carrying out work for the Department and to provide motivation to achieve and maintain satisfactory standards.
	Following a successful assessment of the trainee's suitability a temporary appointment of six months will be established. During this period an assessment of the officer's competence will be made. Satisfactory assessment leads to a full appointment.
	It is the responsibility of the Department to maintain a level of training suitable for the LVI to perform his or her functions. Training is complemented with written instructions, newsletters and practice liaison meetings during which new issues and instructions are discussed. The Departments official journal of the SVS—State Veterinary Journal—is published and distributed to LVI practices bi-annually. These publications have included a series of articles on notifiable diseases. All LVIs have access to a departmental veterinary officer 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Woodland

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment is being made of the value of woodland in urban areas.

Elliot Morley: The Forestry Commission has a programme of social research to assess the value of woodland in urban areas. A number of projects are being conducted under this programme including investigating how woodlands enhance communities, and the value of woodlands in relation to recreation, social inclusion, land regeneration and economic development. The links between access to the natural environment and improved physical and mental health will also be investigated.
	The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions also plans to commission research into the feasibility of developing a tool for putting an economic value on the benefits derived from the provision and maintenance of street trees. This is likely to build on the study currently being carried out by the National Urban Forestry Unit into the impact of street trees on residential property values.
	In addition, the urban green spaces taskforce, chaired by the Minister responsible for regeneration, the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), is developing proposals for improving the quality of green spaces, through better design, planning and management. As part of this work, the taskforce has been reviewing current evidence on the state of parks and green spaces, including any wider benefits to people's quality of life in the urban environment. Their thinking has been informed by research carried out by the University of Sheffield, the results of which we expect to publish alongside the taskforce's final report in April.

Private Sewers

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been undertaken by her Department in respect of private sewers; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: We have appointed outside consultants to undertake research into existing private sewers, the main objective of which is to establish their extent, identify and examine the problems associated with them and to produce workable solutions. The research began in December and is due to last 18 months. Further details will be provided in an announcement that I will be making at the end of this month.

Food Supplements

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the impact of European directives on the supply of health supplements.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	A common position on a draft European Union Directive on Food Supplements was agreed by the Council of Ministers on 3 December and is currently at second reading stage in the European Parliament. The proposed directive would establish a framework for harmonised controls on vitamin and mineral content of food supplements and introduce a number of useful labelling measures.
	The impact of this directive on consumer choice and the specialist food supplement sector will depend on future developments on maximum limits and lists of permitted nutrients. We are firmly committed to the view that, in the interests of consumer choice, the law should allow food supplements which are safe and properly labelled to be freely marketed.

Shellfish Poisoning

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the incidents of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning in the UK the past five years, and their impact on the shellfish industry.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The last year for which figures on the number of incidents of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning are readily available is 2000. In this year there were approximately 60 closures of shellfish beds due to the presence of this poison, lasting from a few weeks to several months. Closures are put in place in order to protect public health, the beds reopening when further testing indicates that the poison is absent. This Department has no information on the impact of such closures on the shellfish industry.

Shellfish Poisoning

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has commissioned into the causes of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Food Standards Agency has an extensive on-going programme of research on shellfish poisoning. This contains a specific project that seeks to understand more about the relationship between the source of the toxins, microscopic algae in the water that shellfish feed on, and the presence of toxin in the shellfish. Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning is included in this work.

Shellfish Poisoning

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether diarrhetic shellfish poisoning is classified as being caused by a pest.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning occurs when shellfish ingest toxins present in certain types of the microscopic algae on which they feed. These algae occur naturally in the waters in which shellfish are grown and are not classified as being a pest in the context of the Food Safety (Fishery Products and Live Shellfish) (Hygiene) Regulations 1998.

Urban Green Spaces

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the final report of the Urban Green Spaces Task Force.

Sally Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
	The final report of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce will be published in April.

Rural Postal Services

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has to carry out a rural-proofing analysis of Postcomm's proposals to reform the postal industry; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact on rural communities of Postcomm's proposals to reform the postal industry; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to PQ No. 31275 from my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart), at column 1126W.
	Postcomm's document "Proposals for effective competition in UK postal services", published on Thursday 31 January, is a public consultation. I understand that the Countryside Agency, the Government's statutory adviser on rural issues, intends to respond to Postcomm on the proposals put forward in that document and will include in that response an analysis of the impact of the proposals on rural areas which it will also make public.

TREASURY

Entrust

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Entrust's expenditure was in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01 for (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland.

Paul Boateng: Expenditure by environmental bodies under the environment bodies landfill tax credit scheme is:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 (i) for the UK  
			 1998–99 46,835,182 
			 1999–2000 82,040,006 
			 2001–01 117,659,08 
			   
			 (ii) for Scotland  
			 1998–99 5,475,538 
			 1999–2000 9,904,464 
			 2000–01 2,670,705

Income Tax

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out for each of the last five years, in total, for employment income and self-employed income, for income ranges (a) £5,000, (b) £5,000–£10,000, (c) £10,000–£15,000, (d) £15,000–£20,000, (e) £20,000–£30,000, (f) £30,000–£50,000 and (g) £50,000 plus, the number of people paying income tax, the total amount raised and proportion of UK totals in each nation and region of the UK; and if he will provide estimates for 2002–03 where available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Tax Returns

Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 693W, if he will update his reply to take account of the advice on the Inland Revenue website (at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/workingtogether/ tax-net-prov-figs.htm) under the heading, Tax Returns and Provisional Figures Update; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 14 February 2002
	Based on earlier legal advice and understanding of the law the Inland Revenue's practice was to reject as unsatisfactory any return that contained a provisional or estimated figure that did not have an adequate explanation or indication of when a final figure would be supplied.
	Following an appeal against a late filing penalty the Inland Revenue sought fresh legal advice. From 23 October 2001, because of this new advice, the Inland Revenue now accept that a customer has made a return which contains an unexplained estimated or provisional figure and does not indicate when the final figure will be supplied.
	A detailed explanation of the new position was published on the Inland Revenue's internet site and in their Tax Bulletin 57 published in January 2002.

Consumer Debt Advice

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce financial advice bureaux to provide consumer debt advice and counselling.

Ruth Kelly: Good consumer debt advice and counselling can be vital to individuals with serious financial difficulties. That is why we welcome it being widely available though Citizens Advice Bureaux, National Debtline, other independent advice centres, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) and local authority advice centres, all of which provide free help to those in difficulties. These are already funded by a combination of central and local government, and industry support channelled through the Money Advice Trust and CCCS.
	In addition recent reports by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and the Consumer Policy Institute, as well as proposals from the Financial Services Authority in their Consultation Paper 121, focus attention on the way financial advice is delivered and funded. We are following the debate that has accompanied those initiatives closely.

Consumer Debt Advice

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the role of the Financial Services Authority in consumer debt advice and counselling.

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services and Markets Act 2001 gives the Financial Services Authority (FSA) specific objectives:
	to promote public understanding of the financial system, including promoting awareness of the benefits and risks of investments and other financial dealing, and the provision of appropriate information and advice, and
	to secure the appropriate degree of protection for consumers.
	In addition the FSA has powers to challenge terms in financial services consumer contracts that are unfair.
	In the future a new FSA mortgage regime will regulate advice on the largest debt most people are ever likely to enter into.
	The FSA seeks to ensure consumers are better able to make informed choices and achieve fair deals. An understanding of credit and debt and the role they play in financial planning is an essential part of this. To help ordinary consumers understand and use their rights the FSA operates a dedicated consumer website including a section on credit and debt, produces publications dealing, for example, with mortgages and unfair contract terms, and has developed materials to support work in schools. The latter includes material aimed at developing financial capability for pupils aged 14 to 19 that specifically addresses credit and debt.
	The FSA does not duplicate the work done by others. Instead it provides links where appropriate to the more detailed specialist information provided by agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux and other local government and voluntary initiatives.
	Where the FSA is contacted by people with debt problems it refers them to the appropriate agency such as their local CAB or the National Debtline.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has received from the ONS on the definition of a company limited by guarantee as a replacement for Railtrack in the national accounts.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 26 February 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what guidance has been received from the ONS on the definition of a company limited by guarantee as a replacement for Railtrack in the national accounts. (37274)
	In October 2001 ONS provided provisional statistical classification advice on plans for a company limited by guarantee. This provisional advice was that the company would be classified as a private non-financial corporation, if the detailed plans were developed as discussed. ONS will update this advice when detailed plans for the company have been finalised.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the impact of Railtrack in administration will be on the PSBR.

Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 4 December 2001, Official Report, column 202W.

Railtrack

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 702W, on Railtrack, in what way the disclosure of information on the consultations on draft legislation would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussions.

Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave her on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 1052W.

National Savings

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the main components of the cost of re-branding National Savings; and what the cost was of advertising the name change in national newspapers.

Ruth Kelly: As a key part of its marketing strategy, all costs associated with the re-positioning have been met from National Savings and Investments' existing marketing and running costs budgets. The costs of communicating the name change and a new 24 hour, seven days a week telephone service in the national newspapers is £430,000. A breakdown of the main components of the re-positioning of National Savings and Investments is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Promotion to current and potential customers 1.1 
			   
			 Programme of cross business/internal communication, training and implementation to staff of National Savings and Investments (120 staff), Siemens Business Services (2,000 staff), and Post Office Ltd. (17,500 branches). 0.4 
			   
			 Development and design fees for corporate identity and advertising and media fees. 0.6 
			   
			 Total 2.1

Film and TV Industry

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning use of tax allowances by (a) independent film makers and (b) television producers.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor receives numerous budget representations from various sources. All taxes are kept under review and decisions are made as part of the normal Budget process.

Film and TV Industry

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he uses when determining tax allowances for (a) independent film makers and (b) television shows and soap operas.

Dawn Primarolo: There are three main measures providing enhanced tax relief for the production or acquisition of film, Sections 40A to D of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992, Section 42 of the same Act, and Section 48 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1997. The measures are designed to promote growth, employment, investment and opportunities in the British film industry.

Transport 10-Year Plan

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 243W, on funding for the 10-year transport plan, whether there will be a decrease of £1.962 billion for payment over the years 2006–07 to 2011–12.

Andrew Smith: Of the £1.962 billion figure, £1.5 billion reflected the advancement of direct grants due to Railtrack in future control periods. The long-term savings resulting from this advancement of grant will be one of a number of factors to be taken into account in this year's review of the Ten Year Plan.

Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with which British overseas and dependent territories the United States of America has exchange of information agreements for tax purposes.

Dawn Primarolo: The United States of America has a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the Cayman Islands.

Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in each of the last three years British regulators and official investigators have requested information from the regulatory authorities of the British overseas territories and Crown dependencies.

Ruth Kelly: Records of requests for information made to the regulatory authorities of the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are not maintained centrally. The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have powers to provide information to overseas regulators, law enforcement authorities and judicial authorities and powers to obtain the necessary information including, if necessary, by using compulsory powers.

Carter Report

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the submissions to the Carter report on payroll burdens; and if he will make a statement on the report.

Dawn Primarolo: Over 50 responses have been received from a wide range of interested parties, including most of the main bodies representing employers. Responses are still being received and are being reviewed.

Inland Revenue

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) complaints he has received and (b) errors he has detected in connection with the Inland Revenue's electronic lodgement service in each year since it began; and in how many cases each year breaches of security have been established.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows: (a) The Chancellor of the Exchequer has received one complaint in connection with the Inland Revenue's Electronic Lodgement Service. This was in the tax year 2000–01.
	(b) The Inland Revenue is constantly reviewing, updating and improving the Electronic Lodgement Service following feedback from customers, software developers and Inland Revenue staff. The Inland Revenue is not aware of any instances where tax return information has been recorded against the wrong taxpayer.
	(b) The Inland Revenue takes security very seriously. All possible security measures are taken to ensure the Electronic Lodgement Service is secure. It is also constantly monitored for any potential security breaches. The Inland Revenue has no reported incidents of unauthorised access to the Electronic Lodgement Service.

VAT

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT revenue the Treasury has received in each of the last five years from the sale of (a) audio-visual equipment and (b) consumer electronics.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available.

Tax Evasion

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what systems exist to enable members of the public to inform the Inland Revenue of cases of tax evasion.

Dawn Primarolo: Anyone who suspects someone of evading tax can report that suspicion in confidence to any local tax office. Alternatively, they can call the Inland Revenue's anti-fraud helpline on 0800 788887.

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 957W, what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in each year since May 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Information at this level of detail is not available. Expenditure on all Treasury offices since May 1997 has been limited to maintenance works pending the move to new accommodation.

Treasury Building

Richard Bacon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 841W, on the Treasury Building PFI deal, what further operating costs there are for the Treasury Building under the Treasury PFI deal, other than those specified as hard services and soft services.

Ruth Kelly: None.

Treasury Building

Richard Bacon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer using the Treasury's inflation assumptions for the Treasury Building PFI deal, what he estimates the total amount of cash paid by the Treasury to Exchequer Partnership will be for service costs over the lifetime of the Treasury Building PFI deal.

Ruth Kelly: As I told the hon. Member on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 844W, the total amount of cash paid over the operating period, using HMT's inflation assumptions, will be £838.154 million. This equates to £169.3 million in net present cost terms, discounted at 6 per cent. in real terms and assuming 2.5 per cent. inflation. On the same basis, the services element would amount to £212.48 million over the operating period. This equates to £50.864 million in net present cost terms, discounted at 6 per cent. in real terms and assuming 2.5 per cent inflation. However, as its name implies, there is a single unitary payment for the provision of serviced accommodation so there is no services payment by HMT to Exchequer Partnership.

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 228W, what is the total area in square feet of all empty properties referred to.

Ruth Kelly: The total number of empty properties for the year 2000–01 was 30 and the total area for these was 693,531 sq ft.
	Eight were disposed of during the year and these had an area of 322,110 sq ft.
	This left 22 properties with an area of 371,421 sq ft. empty for the full year.

Terrorism

Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent financial action task force plenary meeting on terrorist financing, money laundering and non-cooperative jurisdictions held in Hong Kong.

Ruth Kelly: At the financial action task force plenary meeting in Hong Kong, China made good progress in taking forward the FATF's work on terrorist financing.
	The FATF plenary was followed by a successful global terrorist financing forum, attended by almost 60 jurisdictions from FATF, FATF-style regional bodies and the OGBS, as well as nine international organisations. The forum stressed the importance of all jurisdictions adopting and implementing the eight special recommendations on terrorist financing issued by the FATF in October 2001. The forum called on all jurisdictions in the world to participate in a self-assessment exercise against the special recommendations on the same terms as FATF members.
	The FATF confirmed that in June 2002, it will initiate a process to identify jurisdictions that lack appropriate measures to combat terrorist financing. FATF members reiterated their commitment of members to assist non-members, as appropriate, to comply with the special recommendations.
	The FATF also reviewed its list of non-co-operative countries and territories (NCCTs) in the fight against money laundering, and welcomed the additional progress made by a number of the 19 jurisdictions on the list. The FATF will consider progress made by NCCT countries at its next meeting in June 2002, and will consider taking counter-measures against jurisdictions that have not made adequate progress in addressing deficiencies.

Debt Rescheduling

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the obstacles are which stand in the way of debt rescheduling that he refers to on page 40 of the Treasury document "Tackling Poverty, A Global New Deal".

Paul Boateng: Over the past three years the international community has been working hard to develop a new framework of partnership between the public and private sectors for preventing and managing balance of payments problems so that all parties that benefit from the international financial system play their part in maintaining stability.
	However, the ability of minority creditors to litigate successfully against sovereigns in default is a serious obstacle to debt restructuring, and can exacerbate creditor co-ordination problems. Thus some form of international bankruptcy procedure may be necessary to prevent disruptive litigation by minority credits.
	More generally, there is a need to clarify the roles of debtors, creditors and the official sector within the crisis resolution framework, in order to provide the right incentives for creditors to co-ordinate effectively during debt restructuring negotiations.

Suicide

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths have occurred on average each year over the last three years in (a) England and (b) each county owing to suicide.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Simmonds, dated 26 February 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many deaths have occurred on average each year over the last 3 years in England and each county owing to suicide. (37733).
	The figures requested are given in the table below.
	
		Suicides(28) by English counties(29) and former counties, years of occurrence 1998 to 2000
		
			  1998 1999 2000 1998–2000 
		
		
			 England 4,815 4,828 4,598 14,241 
			 Bedfordshire, former county of 43 60 41 144 
			 Berkshire, former county of 76 72 75 223 
			 Bristol/Bath area 82 82 76 240 
			 Buckinghamshire, former county of 62 54 67 183 
			 Cambridgeshire, former county of 55 57 65 177 
			 Cheshire, former county of 102 97 95 294 
			 Cornwall (and Isle of Scilly) 59 63 63 185 
			 Cumbria 68 63 50 181 
			 Derbyshire, former county of 75 96 90 261 
			 Devon, former county of 119 137 134 390 
			 Dorset, former county of 67 83 71 221 
			 Durham, former county of 60 62 54 176 
			 East Sussex, former county of 90 94 103 287 
			 Essex, former county of 153 127 136 416 
			 Gloucestershire 56 60 57 173 
			 Greater London (Metropolitan County) 734 685 616 2,035 
			 Greater Manchester (Metropolitan County) 297 263 266 826 
			 Hampshire, former county of 157 167 148 472 
			 Herefordshire and Worcestershire 70 91 80 241 
			 Hertfordshire 72 61 65 198 
			 Isle of Wight, former county of 20 17 15 52 
			 Kent, former county of 150 124 147 421 
			 Lancashire, former county of 181 170 162 513 
			 Leicestershire, former county of 77 92 91 260 
			 Lincolnshire 70 68 62 200 
			 Merseyside (Metropolitan County) 141 140 130 411 
			 Norfolk 92 75 74 241 
			 North Yorkshire, former county of 86 61 73 220 
			 Northamptonshire 54 63 43 160 
			 Northumberland 28 34 25 87 
			 Nottinghamshire, former county of 99 101 109 309 
			 Oxfordshire 52 53 54 159 
			 Shropshire, former county of 28 54 43 125 
			 Somerset 43 41 55 139 
			 South Yorkshire (Metropolitan County) 129 117 120 366 
			 Staffordshire, former county of 107 103 88 298 
			 Suffolk 60 52 60 172 
			 Surrey 85 72 85 242 
			 Tees Valley less Darlington 51 46 44 141 
			 The Humber 86 94 85 265 
			 Tyne and Wear (Metropolitan County) 109 120 114 343 
			 Warwickshire 45 50 44 139 
			 West Midlands (Metropolitan County) 219 245 245 709 
			 West Sussex 59 81 73 213 
			 West Yorkshire (Metropolitan County) 199 235 158 592 
			 Wiltshire, former county of 48 46 47 141 
		
	
	(28) Suicide is defined by ONS using the following codes from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision: E950-E959, E980-E989, excluding E988.8
	(29) Data are presented for English counties in 1998 to 2000, based on their boundaries in those years, and for former counties (based on the equivalent areas covered by current authorities.)

Pensions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self-invested pension plans there were at the most recent available date; and what their total value was.

Ruth Kelly: Information on the total number of self-invested personal pension plans and value of their funds is not available.

Pensions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the changes in tax revenues if tax relief for pension contributions were (a) limited to the standard rate, (b) limited to the standard rate for contributions in excess of £5,000 per annum and (c) abolished for contributions in excess of (i) £5,000 per annum and (ii) £10,000 per annum.

Ruth Kelly: The estimated full year yields from restricting income tax relief on pension contributions by employees and the self-employed in 2001–02 are detailed in the table.
	
		£ billion 
		
			  Full year yield 
		
		
			  Contributions restricted to basic rate on: 
			 all contributions 1.7 
			 contributions in excess of £5,000 0.5 
			   
			  All relief abolished on contributions: 
			 in excess of £5,000 1.1 
			 in excess of £10,000 0.5 
		
	
	These estimates take no account of the impact on employer contributions, neither do they take account of the behavioural effects that are likely to result from such a change.

Population Trends (Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the population was of (a) Humberside, (b) North East Lincolnshire and (c) North Lincolnshire, in each year from 1990 to 2001; and what predictions have been made of the population trends in each of these areas in the next 10 years.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Shona McIsaac, dated 26 February 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the population of Humberside, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire from 1990–2011. (37753)
	The attached table shows the estimated mid year population from 1990 to 2000 and the projected mid-year population from 2001 to 2011 for these areas. The projections are based on the mid-1996 subnational population estimates and use assumptions on future levels of births, deaths and migration. There is some discontinuity between the estimates and projections because the estimates for 1997 to 2000 are based on actual births, deaths and migration. These differed from the assumptions used when producing the projections. However, the projections are the best available information on the likely future population in the period 2001 to 2011.
	
		Table 1: Population of Humberside, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire, 1990–2011 -- Mid-year population (thousands)
		
			  Humberside(30) North East Lincolnshire UA North Lincolnshire UA 
		
		
			 1990(31) 872.5 161.4 152.5 
			 1991(31) 877.3 161.7 153.6 
			 1992(31) 881.4 161.6 153.5 
			 1993(31) 884.4 162.0 152.6 
			 1994(31) 889.5 161.4 153.2 
			 1995(31) 889.2 160.1 152.1 
			 1996(31) 886.7 158.6 152.4 
			 1997(31) 884.7 157.6 152.4 
			 1998(31) 883.1 156.2 152.3 
			 1999(31) 881.6 156.0 152.0 
			 2000(31) 881.0 155.2 152.5 
			 
			 2001(32) 983.8 153.7 151.1 
			 2002(32) 894.8 152.7 150.7 
			 2003(32) 895.8 151.6 150.4 
			 2004(32) 896.8 150.5 150.0 
			 2005(32) 897.8 149.4 149.7 
			 2006(32) 898.7 148.3 149.4 
			 2007(32) 899.8 147.3 149.1 
			 2008(32) 900.8 146.2 148.8 
			 2009(32) 901.9 145.1 148.5 
			 2010(32) 903.0 144.1 148.3 
			 2011(32) 904.2 143.1 148.0 
		
	
	(30) The are described as Humberside refers to the four unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire which replaced the former administrative county on 1 April 1996.
	(31) Estimated mid-year population.
	(32) 1996-based projected mid-year population.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics, Crown Copyright 2001

Departmental Organogram

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place an organogram of HM Treasury in the Library.

Ruth Kelly: An organogram of HM Treasury was placed in the Library on 12 April 2001 in HM Treasury's departmental report, "Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments: The Government's Expenditure Plans 2001–02 to 2003–04 and Main Estimates 2001–02" (Cm 5116). This is also available on the Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.

Customs and Excise (Northern Ireland)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people promoted in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years had served at their previous grade for more than one year.

Paul Boateng: In the calendar year 2001, 81.6 per cent. of people promoted in HM Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland had been in their previous job band (grade) for more than one year.
	This percentage is based on people still in the Department, and excludes people who may have been promoted again in 2002. Earlier figures are unavailable because the datafields on the system do not lend themselves to historical interrogation of this type.

Disabled Person's Tax Credit (Tooting)

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the Tooting constituency have been awarded the disabled person's tax credit in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The disabled person's tax credit was introduced in October 1999. The number of recipients in each constituency appear in the DPTC Quarterly Enquiries from April 2000, copies of which are in the Library.

Secondments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and civil service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 12 February 2002
	Thirty-nine people have been seconded from the private sector to the Treasury since 1997, and four are currently serving.
	Details of current secondees from all sectors outside central Government can be found on the Treasury website.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in Good Policy Making.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor's Departments have completed 12 Final Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) since August 2001:
	HM Treasury
	The Protection of the Euro against Counterfeiting Regulations 2001; The Money Laundering Regulations; The Insurance Fees Regulation; The Credit Unions Regulations (Increase in limits on deposits by persons too young to be members and of periods for repayment of loans); The Financial Services and Markets Act 2001 (Promotion of collective investment schemes); The Open Ended Investment Companies Regulations; The Money Laundering Regulations.
	HM Customs and Excise
	European Community Legislation: Proposal for a Council Directive Amending the Sixth VAT Directive (77/388/EEC), to simplify, modernise and harmonise the conditions laid down for VAT Invoicing; New VAT Registration Forms.
	HM Inland Revenue
	Life Insurance Polices, etc.—Information duties of Insurers; CIS: Issue of CIS5 (Partner) Certificates; New Tax Credits.
	For additional information relating to costing methodology I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W.

European Investment Bank

Sue Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timetable and process will be for deciding on the UK's contribution to the next replenishment of the European investment bank.

Ruth Kelly: Capital increases to the European investment bank have to be agreed by the bank's board of governors, acting unanimously. There are 15 such governors, representing the 15 member state shareholders of the bank. The UK governor is the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The EIB is currently nearing its maximum permitted level of exposure (for 100 billion euros of subscribed capital, 6 per cent. of which is paid in, it may have up to 250 billion euros of outstanding liabilities, ie a gearing ratio of 1:2.5). Unless the bank dramatically curtails its lending activities, there will therefore need to be a capital increase agreed this year, to take effect from 1 January 2003. Proposals put forward by the bank's staff and management committee envisage a capital increase paid for from the bank's own funds. There will therefore be no requirement for any further paid in contribution from the UK or other shareholders. This principle (that capital increases should be met from reserves) will be entrenched for future capital increases too. Nevertheless, there are implications for the UK's contingent liability, the volume of which increases in proportion to the size of the bank's exposure.
	The decision on the capital increase will be taken at the annual board of governors meeting, which takes place this year on 4 June. Proposals are currently being considered by the board of directors, which has three UK members.

Parliamentary Questions

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the question of 18 January 2002 from the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell concerning the distribution of benefits from personal allowances; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has no record of the question to which the hon. Gentleman refers.

Parliamentary Questions

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the question of 2 February 2002 from the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell concerning fees; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I assume the hon. Gentleman is referring to his questions 33457 and 33464, which the Chief Secretary answered on 7 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1148–52W, along with other related questions.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 741W, on special advisers, for what reason such records of contacts with the media are for internal purposes only.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 766.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Sure Start

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time day-care places are available through the Sure Start initiative; and how many children are within reach of the programme.

Yvette Cooper: The first 260 Sure Start programmes will have created 10,000 new full-time child care places by 2003–2004, including full-time daycare, full-time child minder places and wraparound care places.
	Sure Start will reach approximately 400,000 children under four living in areas of disadvantage by 2003–04. There are 190,000 children under four living in the 252 Sure Start programmes currently operational.

Sure Start

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was budgeted and what was the (a) outturn and (b) planned outturn for Sure Start in (i) 1998–99, (ii) 1999–2000, (iii) 2000–01 and (iv) 2001–02.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 February 2002
	Sure Start was launched in 1998 with a budget of £84 million for 1999–2000, £184 million for 2000–01 and £184 million for 2001–02, with £100 million for end year flexibility also available in 2001–02. Final outturn information is available for 1999–2000 when the outturn was £7 million and for 2000–01 when the outturn was £43 million.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Ivan Lewis: The available information, as contained in the following table, cannot be broken down by amount spent in the UK and abroad, as our payments systems do not enable this. Information on agencies and NDPBs is not collected centrally.
	
		£ 
		
			 Year Line rental/ Other expenditure Calls Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 117,693.37 52,352.41 170,045.78 
			 1998–99 117,339.61 50,959.11 168,298.72 
			 1999–2000 160,410.62 58,478.47 218,889.09 
			 2000–01 237,861.51 91,335.48 329,196.99 
		
	
	The "Other" expenditure includes the purchase of new handsets, personal hands-free kits, carry cases etc, but it is not possible to provide separate totals for line rental and hardware costs.
	Information on calls made from privately owned phones by Ministers and staff could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Government Initiatives

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for (a) Sure Start and (b)  employment zones (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expended in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative.

Yvette Cooper: For Sure Start, the budgeted expenditure for 1999–2000 to 2003–04 is as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Budget 
		
		
			 1999–2000 84 
			 2000–01 184 
			 2001–02 (33)184 
			 2002–03 449 
			 2003–04 499 
		
	
	(33) £100 million of end year flexibility also available
	Sure Start's budget for 2004–05 and beyond is currently under consideration as part of Spending Review 2002. Final outturn figures are available for 1999–2000, when the total outturn was £7 million and for 2000–01, when the total outturn was £43 million. Employment Zones are the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions; I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 538W.

Teachers' Pay

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the teachers' pay initiative is distributed among teaching staff; and which guidelines direct this distribution.

Margaret Hodge: Each college receives a teaching pay initiative allocation calculated each year in proportion to its main funding allocation from the Learning and Skills Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Allocations to individual teaching staff are based on the national principles and criteria set out in "The Teaching Pay Initiative Guidance", for general further education colleges, and "The Professional Standards Payment Guidance" for sixth form colleges. This guidance was produced by the Association of Colleges and the Sixth Form Colleges' Employers' Forum, respectively, in consultation with college practitioners, college representative bodies and the Department for Education and Skills. A copy of the guidance will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Children's Day Care Facilities (Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many day care providers, broken down by type of provider, there were in (a) north-east Lincolnshire and (b) north Lincolnshire in each year from 1997 to 2001;
	(2)  how many day care places broken down by type of providers there were in (a) north-east Lincolnshire and (b) north Lincolnshire in each year from 1997 to 2001.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Latest figures on day care facilities in England were published by my Department in the Statistical Bulletin "Children's Day Care facilities at 31 March 2001 (08/01)" in October 2001, a copy of which is available from the Library. An electronic copy of this publication is also available on my Department's website (www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics).
	
		Numbers of day care facilities and places for children, by category of provider, in North East Lincolnshire local authority: 1997–2001
		
			  Day nurseries(34) Child minders(34) Playgroups and pre-schools(34) Out of school clubs(35) Holiday schemes(35),(36)  
			 Position as at 31 March Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places 
		
		
			 2001 14 488 84 311 34 720 13 297 5 215 
			 2000 11 361 82 300 36 811 8 186 5 215 
			 1999 10 327 91 339 42 965 10 210 (37)— (37)— 
			 1998 9 300 92 341 45 1,028 7 166 5 161 
			 1997 10 187 107 473 48 912 2 40 0 0 
		
	
	(34) Provision for children under eight.
	(35) Provision for children aged five to seven years.
	(36) Additional guidelines were given to providers in 1999.
	(37) The information supplied by the local authority was incomplete and is therefore excluded from the time series.
	
		Numbers of day care facilities and places for children, by category of provider, in North Lincolnshire local authority: 1997–2001
		
			  Day nurseries(38) Child minders(38) Playgroups and pre-schools(38) Out of school clubs(39) Holiday schemes(39),(40)  
			 Position as at 31 March Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places Providers Places 
		
		
			 2001 14 454 123 493 44 1,097 14 330 414 15,028 
			 2000 12 403 124 491 48 1,174 13 316 451 16,428 
			 1999 12 411 146 756 54 1,259 13 278 405 16,049 
			 1998 11 364 144 562 54 1,259 (41)— (41)— (41)— (41)— 
			 1997 27 872 (41)— 627 64 1,216 8 160 2 60 
		
	
	(38) Provision for children under eight.
	(39) Provision for children aged five to seven years.
	(40) Additional guidelines were given to providers in 1999.
	(41) Not available.

Sector Skills Councils

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what research within the Sector Skills Development Agency has been undertaken which reviews the occupational synergy between the gas, water, electricity and telecommunications industries;
	(2)  if she intends to establish a sector skills council which represents all the utilities;
	(3)  how she defines utilities with reference to the sector skills council.

John Healey: Sector skills councils (SSCs) will be licensed in sectors where employers want one and the SSC standard is met. The licensing standard is contained in a development guide published in November 2001. A key criterion is for SSCs to have an employment base of economic or strategic significance. The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) will begin work in April 2002 and therefore has not undertaken any reviews of industry sectors. My Department has not defined the "utilities sector" and is looking to employers to bring forward proposals for sectors that meet the licensing standard and make sense to their industries. A Business Adviser has been allocated to work closely with interested employers to develop their proposals. Any formal expression of interest by employers to form an SSC in the utilities sector will be considered by the SSDA.

Sector Skills Councils

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the implementation of sector skills councils and the arrangements to secure comprehensive coverage of all industrial, commercial, public and voluntary sectors of employment.

John Healey: Following our announcement of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in October 2001 we have made good progress in implementing this important UK skills and productivity initiative. A development guide was published in November 2001 that sets out the licensing standard for an SSC. Five Trailblazer SSCs have been selected and will be licensed very shortly. The Chair of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has been appointed. Other key appointments will be made in the next few weeks. The SSDA will begin work in April 2002 and will consider further proposals from employers to form SSCs.
	Sector coverage of the SSC network will depend on employers coming forward with proposals that meet the licensing standard. A fundamental principle is that SSCs will be licensed only in sectors where employers come forward to provide influential leadership to significantly improve skills and productivity performance. The SSDA will be responsible for ensuring that essential industry, business and occupational sector-related work is delivered in support of employers and individuals in sectors without an SSC.

Education and Youth Council

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the outcome was of the Education and Youth Council held in Brussels on 14 February; what the Government's position was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I represented the UK at the Education and Youth Council on 14 February.
	The Council adopted a detailed work programme, setting out priority areas in educational policy for exchanging good practice and co-operative working between member states. The priorities follow on from the report on "Concrete Future Objectives of Education and Training Systems" presented to the Stockholm European Council in March 2001. The detailed work programme was adopted with little debate, and will be presented to the Barcelona European Council in March 2002.
	The Council received information from the Commission on: its communication to the Barcelona European Council 'The Lisbon Strategy—making change happen'; its newly-published action plan on skills and mobility; and its proposal to extend the TEMPUS programme to include countries that border the Mediterranean.
	The Council discussed the Commission's communication on "Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning". The UK supported the communication's practical proposals, and its commitment to maintaining the focus on the goals agreed at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000. I stressed the need to ensure coherence between the various strands of European level work in this area in order to support member states effectively in developing their lifelong learning policies.
	The Council debated the Commission's white paper "A new impetus for European Youth" and adopted conclusions that stress the need to include the youth dimension in national and European policies, the need to reach out and include young people, and the need to ensure that co-operation at European level is flexible and respects national diversity. The UK emphasised the need to clarify the processes for taking forward this work at European level. We recognise the benefits of learning from other countries in this area and the need to include and consult all young people, including the most disengaged, to ensure that relevant policies meet their needs and aspirations as far as possible.
	A copy of the council minutes will be placed in the Library in due course.

Skills Shortages

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will provide a breakdown of skills shortages in each region of the UK.

John Healey: The collection of such data in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the respective devolved administrations. The Employer Skills Survey 2001, commissioned by the Department shows that, on average, 3.6 per cent. of employers in England reported skills shortage vacancies 1 , whilst the figures for employers in each region were as follows:
	East Midlands 2.2 per cent.
	Eastern 4.6 per cent.
	London 4.2 per cent.
	North East 2.9 per cent.
	North West 3.5 per cent.
	South East 3.7 per cent.
	South West 4.4 per cent.
	West Midlands 3.4 per cent.
	Yorkshire and the Humber 2.2 per cent.
	1 Skills shortage vacancies are hard-to-fill vacancies caused by a lack of suitably skilled, qualified or experienced applicants, as defined by the National Skills Task Force.

Business Skills

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what training provision is made to meet the needs of small and medium enterprises.

John Healey: Much of the support for small and medium sized enterprises is provided through the Learning and Skills Council, which has an overall budget this year of 7.3 billion. Local LSCs will contract with small business service franchisees to provide advice to small and medium sized enterprises on workforce development services including support for Investors in People, access to Modern Apprenticeships and management development. In addition, the Department has provided the Learning and Skills Council with a specific workforce development budget of £48 million in the current financial year.

Business Skills

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to incorporate entrepreneurship and business skills as an integral part of the curriculum from primary school through secondary, further and higher education.

John Healey: We are already taking steps to ensure that young people gain a knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship and business skills.
	Since assuming responsibility in April 2001, the Learning and Skills Council has, through education business links consortiums, formed partnerships with businesses and schools to help pupils gain key skills that prepare them for the world of work.
	Entrepreneurship and business skills are already promoted via a range of subjects in schools—including mathematics, science, design and technology, citizenship and personal, social and health education.
	We recently published the Green Paper "14–19: extending opportunities and raising standards". Our proposals will deliver a range of high quality, high status academic, vocational/technical and mixed options, covering entrepreneurship and business skills among others.
	The independent Review of Enterprise and the Economy in Education, chaired by Sir Howard Davies whose report was published on 14 February, made a series of recommendations about how to promote understanding of the economy and enterprise throughout the school and further education system. We are considering the recommendations within the broader outcome of the spending review process and our other priorities in the education system, not least the 14–19 Green Paper.
	We announced in November 2001 that the Department would be providing £1 million over 2002–04 to put in place arrangements with the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Learning and Teaching Support Network for the embedding of work-related skills more widely in HE provision. Negotiations are at an early stage but the work will include the embedding of entrepreneurial skills as well as other generic and vocational skills.

Business Skills

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will introduce company learning accounts alongside individual learning accounts.

John Healey: It is too early to say exactly what form a replacement ILA-style scheme will take or what other arrangements may be introduced alongside the new scheme. Representatives of companies both large and small are being interviewed as part of the current stakeholder consultation exercise, which will report in April.

Business Skills

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will introduce fiscal incentives to encourage small businesses to invest in training.

John Healey: Fiscal incentives are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The Chancellor announced in his pre-Budget report in November pilot activity to test how financial incentives can support employers and individuals to tackle the problem of poor basic skills and attainment to an initial level 2 qualification.
	The pilots will test out provision of free tuition, offering compensation to employers for releasing employees for training. The pilots will use a grant-based system and employers will be asked to volunteer to take part.
	Local Learning and Skills Councils will run the pilots and we expect to announce the pilot areas in April 2002, with learning opportunities beginning in September.

Training Loans

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to increase the flexibility of soft loans to small businesses for training through changes to the restrictions on the achievement of whole National Vocational Qualifications.

John Healey: The Department for Education and Skills is responsible for the Small Firms Training Loan Programme. There are no qualification restrictions which apply to Small Firms Training Loans.

Teachers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 984W, on teachers, how many teachers will reach the age of 60 in each of the next five school years.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 984W.

Consultants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the (a) amount and (b) date of the sponsorship of Government Department events by (a) Capita, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) W.S. Atkins, (d) Nord Anglia, (e) Cambridge Education Associates, (f) KPMG and (g) Ernst and Young; and if she will place related documents in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the occasions on which her Department has held meetings since May 1997 with representatives from (a) Capita, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) W.S. Atkins, (d) Nord Anglia, (e) Cambridge Education Associates, (f) KPMG and (g) Ernst and Young; if she will state the purpose of each meeting; and if she will make a statement on agreements reached as a result.

Ivan Lewis: Each of the organisations listed in the question is active in the education field and officials from my Department meet organisations' representatives frequently in the course of education related conferences and events, procurement processes, consultation exercises and the like. Information about the many occasions since May 1997 on which officials have met representatives from the named organisations, and the purpose of those meetings, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Teachers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what mechanisms her Department has in place to ensure that appropriate checks on overseas teachers are made prior to overseas teachers beginning work in the UK; and what agencies carry out such checks on behalf of her Department.

Stephen Timms: Vetting of teachers and other staff, including those from overseas, is the responsibility of employers and employment agencies.
	My Department gives guidance about the checks that need to be made in Circular 9/93: "Protection of Children: Disclosure Of Criminal Background Of Those With Access To Children" and Circular 7/96: "Use of Supply Teachers", issued to local education authorities and schools, and in Notes of Guidance to Teacher Employment Agencies and Businesses. All the guidance emphasises that no teacher should be placed in employment until satisfactory references have been obtained. Copies of the circulars are available in the Libraries.
	The guidance lists a number of checks that are considered essential before any teacher, including a supply teacher, is employed to work in a school. The list includes: identity, qualifications, health, references, my Department's List 99 and, where possible, a police check. In the case of people from overseas, employers and agencies must also ensure that the person has permission to work in the UK.
	There are no formal arrangements for employers to obtain checks of criminal records in countries outside the UK. However, some countries are able to provide individuals with official statements, which give details of convictions or confirm a clean record. The circulars and notes of guidance include information about these statements, and emphasise that, where such a statement is not available, particular care should be taken with other checks, such as references.

WALES

Theft and Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional security measures are planned by his Department to deter and detect theft and fraud.

Paul Murphy: I expect all my staff, and my Department's auditors, to remain vigilant and conscientiously to implement the financial and security controls which are intended to prevent fraud.

Ministerial Transport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last four years.

Paul Murphy: In respect of part (a) of his question I refer the hon. Member to the answer he has received from the Cabinet Office on 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 406W.
	In respect of part (b), expenditure has been incurred partly through department-wide taxi contracts, partly through local arrangements, and partly through individuals' travel and subsistence claims and it is not possible to provide aggregated figures.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Paul Murphy: In 1997–98 a camera worth £200 and laptop accessories worth £107 were stolen from the former Welsh Office. I am not aware of any subsequent thefts from either the Welsh Office or the Wales Office.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Paul Murphy: No such thefts or losses have been recorded.

Television Sets

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) integrated digital and (b) analogue television sets have been bought by his Department in each of the last 24 months; and if he will publish the guidance given to officials making decisions on television purchases.

Paul Murphy: holding answer 4 February 2002
	My Department has bought three analogue television sets in the last 24 months.
	As with all procurement decisions, officials are expected to find the most cost-effective solution to meet the expressed need.

Industrial Action

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

Paul Murphy: No days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff at this Department or its predecessor, the Welsh Office, in the last four years.
	The Wales Office does not have any agencies or non-departmental public bodies. Information on the Welsh Office's agencies and non-departmental public bodies, for the period prior to July 1999, is not held centrally.

Job Losses

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many job losses there were in Wales, broken down by the lowest regional level for which data are available, in each of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: The information requested is not collected centrally from employers. Information on redundancies is collected in the UK Labour Force Survey but the sample size is not large enough to make reliable estimates for Wales.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burkina Faso

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to improve human rights in Burkina Faso.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	Our ambassador to Burkina Faso raised a number of our concerns when he met President Compaore in September 2001. We reiterated these to the Burkinabè Ambassador to the EU in November 2001. We continue to lobby in the EU and the UN to encourage Burkina Faso to abide by international conventions they have ratified. These include core UN human rights treaties and ILO fundamental conventions (on Forced Labour, freedom of association, discrimination and child labour), we will maintain pressure on Burkina Faso to implement them fully.

Burkina Faso

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her assessment of the levels of (a) child labour and (b) child trafficking in Burkina Faso.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	There is strong evidence that Burkinabè children are trafficked to neighbouring countries. We encourage regional efforts to prevent child trafficking and welcome Burkina Faso's ratification in July 2001 of ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. We also welcome efforts by both international and local NGOs and others to combat child trafficking, including the recent adoption of the Global Industry Protocol on addressing the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa industry, signed in Washington. Through the United Nations and European Union, we also contribute to reducing poverty, the root cause of child trafficking and exploitation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Violent Crime (Wales)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) rape, (b) assault, (c) murder, (d) violent theft and (e) armed robbery there were in Wales in each year since 1997.

John Denham: The available details from recorded crime data are given in the table. For assault, the total of offences of assault on a constable, common assault and racially aggravated common assault has been used; the former two categories were introduced as recorded crimes on 1 April 1998, and the latter was counted separately from 1 April 1999. The total for all homicides is given, and for violent theft, the robbery total is given. Armed robbery includes offences where air weapons were used.
	Also, the British Crime Survey has shown that, in England and Wales as a whole, the number of violent crimes recorded in the survey decreased by 19 per cent. between the 1999 and 2000 calendar years, whereas violent crime recorded by the police increased by an estimated five per cent. Violent crime recorded by the police may therefore not necessarily be a reflection of real changes in the level of violent crime.
	The annual risk of being a victim once or more of violent crime in Wales was 2.4 per cent, this being based on results for 1999 and 2000 from the British Crime Survey. This was lower than for any English region with the England and Wales average risk being 3.9 per cent.
	There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which expanded the offences covered, and placed a greater emphasis on counting crimes in terms of numbers of victims. Numbers of recorded crimes after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.
	
		Recorded crimes in Wales
		
			 Year Rape Assaults Homicide Robbery Robbery using a firearm 
		
		
			 1997(42) 374 n/a 43 811 25 
			 1998–99(43) 376 8,222 32 853 27 
			 1999–2000(43) 387 11,508 35 909 22 
			 2000–01(43) 360 12,496 40 890 39 
		
	
	(42) Calendar year
	(43) Year ending March
	It should be noted that recorded violent crime is subject to changes in reporting and recording. For example, the 2001 British Crime Survey found that, over England and Wales as a whole, reporting to the police of common assault rose from 29 per cent. in 1999 to 39 per cent. in the year 2000.

Departmental Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the publications issued by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Angela Eagle: Details of the titles and costs of all the applications produced by the Home Office from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2001 have been placed in the Library. Prior to 1 April 1999, the production of printed material was not centralised and no records exist.
	Documents distribution is largely carried out by the commissioning client and no central circulation records are held. The purpose of printed material is to communicate Home Office policies to a wide range of target audiences including the general public and stakeholders, such as the police, courts and criminal justice system, and crime reduction organisations.

Civil Servants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new entrants to the civil service employed in his Department in each of the last five years were aged 50 and over.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 6 February 2002
	Information on the number of new entrants to the civil service aged 50 and over who joined the Home Office and its agencies is set out in the table. It has increased substantially since 1997 and the Home Office has recently changed its aged retirement policy to allow staff below the senior civil service to remain in work beyond the age of 60.
	
		
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Home Office 28 35 109 244 204 
			 Forensic Science Service 4 8 11 7 21 
			 United Kingdom Passport Service 4 32 34 73 54 
			 Prison Service 382 502 481 480 577 
			 Fire Service College(44) 2 7 2 2 4 
			  
			 Total 420 584 637 806 860 
		
	
	(44) Responsibility for the Fire Service College transferred to Department for Transport, London and the Regions (DTLR) in June 2001.

Asylum Seekers

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 302W, if he will place in the Library the two recent letters received from Merseyside police in relation to the use of Landmark and Inn on the Park to house asylum seekers.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 5 February 2002
	I am making arrangements for copies of these letters to be placed in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with groups representing the interests of asylum seekers about the location of the proposed asylum accommodation centres; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: We have not had any consultation specifically about the location of accommodation centres with groups representing the interests of asylum seekers. My officials have had general discussions about accommodation centres with a number of groups representing the interests of asylum seekers. In addition, the White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration With Diversity in Modern Britain" sets out our proposals for accommodation centres and we would welcome comments in response to that. Officials are discussing with relevant planning authorities the best way of consulting the public and other interested parties in the areas identified as having potential accommodation centre sites.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collates on the (a) number, (b) source, (c) destination and (d) place of residence in the United Kingdom of (i) asylum seekers and (ii) other immigrants without leave to remain.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) collates information on the number of asylum applications in the United Kingdom lodged both at port and in country, as well as information on the nationality of the principal applicants, and the numbers of asylum seekers removed. These data are published quarterly on the RDS website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration1.html.
	Figures detailing the number of persons against whom enforcement action has been initiated—illegal entrants detected and persons issued with a notice of intention to deport, recommended for deportation by a court or proceeded against under Section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999—are published annually in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is also available in the Libraries and on the RDS website.
	Reliable information is not available on the number of illegal entrants resident in the United Kingdom. However, the Home Office has commissioned a study which will consider methods of estimating the size and characteristics of the illegal population.
	Information on the entry routes of asylum seekers from their country of origin to the United Kingdom and the destination of persons who are removed from the United Kingdom is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the cost of building and running asylum seeker accommodation centres will be met by local authorities in the localities proposed for such centres.

Angela Eagle: None.
	The costs of building and running the trial accommodation centres will be met by the Home Office.

Asylum Seekers

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of asylum seeker accommodation centres in the Netherlands.

Angela Eagle: Home Office officials are having regard to information about accommodation centres in the Netherlands as they develop policy. In addition, the Home Office has recently commissioned research on the reception policies and practice of four European countries including the Netherlands. The research has two main objectives:
	(i) to examine in detail the reception policies and practices of the European countries chosen as case studies (the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden); and
	(ii) to investigate the intended and unintended impacts (both long and short term) of different reception policies and practices within the European countries chosen as case studies.
	This research will provide valuable primary data on asylum and reception processes in other European countries and analyse alternative models of reception and accommodation systems for asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the application of human rights legislation to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 7 February 2002
	There has been no formal assessment of the application of the Human Rights Act 1998 to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
	Any individual subject to immigration control who makes an application to remain in the United Kingdom on human rights grounds will have those grounds considered. There is no opportunity to appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority against an adverse decision.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if the reference to a 3,000 total capacity in asylum accommodation centres in paragraph 4.30 of "Secure Borders, Safe Haven" refers to the total capacity the Government intends to provide; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  over what period the effectiveness of the proposed asylum accommodation centres will be assessed; if the effectiveness of every trial centre will be assessed before conclusions are reached; and if the establishment of additional centres will be considered.

Angela Eagle: We intend to provide 3,000 accommodation centre places on a trial basis. Decisions on any expansion of accommodation centres beyond those 3,000 places will be taken in the light of emerging evidence, here and abroad, about what works. Subject to that, our aim is to phase out the current system of support and dispersal.
	We are still considering the details of the evaluation process for accommodation centres.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if sites under consideration for an asylum accommodation centre which are not selected for one of the trial centres will be considered for later asylum accommodation centres.

Angela Eagle: It is possible that we may wish to consider sites identified as potential locations for trial centres for any future expansion of the accommodation centre programme.

Firearms

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) killings and (b) crimes causing personal injury involving all types of firearms there were in each of the last six years for which records exist.

John Denham: The requested details for homicides and injuries caused by use of firearms, injuries caused by the use of handguns, and offences involving handguns and firearms in general in England and Wales are given in tables 3.1, 3.3 and 3.7 of 'Criminal Statistics England and Wales 2000', which was published in December 2001 and is available in the Library. The numbers of homicides in which a handgun was used are as follows:
	
		Number of homicides using a handgun in England and Wales
		
			 Year   
		
		
			 1995(45) 39 
			 1996(45) 30 
			 1997(45) 39 
			 1998–99(46) 32 
			 1999–2000(46) 42 
			 2000–01(46) 47 
		
	
	(45) Calendar years
	(46) Years ending March

Police Cells

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cells there were in police stations in England and Wales in 1999.

John Denham: Information on the number of cells in police stations is not held centrally.

Public Appointments

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non- departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is as set out. However, public appointees are not required to declare any political affiliation as this is a matter on which all citizens have the right to privacy.
	
		Chairs of Non-Departmental Public Bodies
		
			 Name Term Salary 
		
		
			 Advisory Board on Restricted Patients:   
			 Judge Valerie Pearlman* 3 months from 1 December 1997 Nil 
			 Judge Elizabeth Fisher 3 years from 2 March 1998 Nil 
			 Judge Elizabeth Fisher* 3 years from March 2001 Nil 
			 Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs:   
			 Prof. David Grahame-Smith 1 year from 1 November 1997 Nil 
			 Prof. Michael Rawlins 4 years from 1 November 1998 Nil 
			 Alcohol Education and Research Centre:   
			 Baroness Shreela Flather* 3 years from February 1999 Nil 
			 Animal Procedures Committee:   
			 Rev. Prof. Michael Banner 4 years from 1 February 1998 £200 per day 
			 Rev. Prof. Michael Banner* 4 years from 1 February 2002 £206 per day 
			 Commission for Racial Equality:   
			 Sir Herman Ouseley* 2 years from 1 April 1998 £83,957pa 
			 Gurbux Singh 4 years from May 2000 £111,755pa 
			 Community Development Foundation:   
			 Eddie O'Hara MP 3 years from 1 January 1998 Nil 
			 Eddie O'Hara MP 3 years from January 2001 Nil 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel:   
			 Michael Lewer* 4 years from 1 April 1998 £57,728pa 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Board:   
			 Right hon. Lord Carlisle of Bucklow* 2 years from 1 April 1998 £38,486pa 
			 Firearms Consultative Committee:   
			 Lord Shrewsbury* 11 year from 16 December 98 Nil 
			 David Penn 6 months from August 1999 Nil 
			 David Penn* 2 years from February 2000 Nil 
			 Gaming Board for Great Britain:   
			 Peter Dean 3 years from 1 July 1998 £39,922pa 
			 Peter Dean* 5 years from June 2001 £39,922pa 
			 Horserace Betting Levy Appeals Tribunal:   
			 Thomas Brudenell* (Appointed by the Lord Chancellor) 3 years from 1 June 1998 £265 per day 
			 Horserace Betting Levy Board:   
			 Robert Hughes 3 years from 1 September 1998 £48,250pa 
			 Horserace Totaliser Board:   
			 Lord Wyatt of Weeford* 1 May 1997 to 30 June 1997 £103,108pa 
			 Lord Wyatt of Weeford* 1 July 1997 to 31 July 1997 £103,108pa 
			 Peter Jones 3 years from 1 August 1997 £81,119pa 
			 Peter Jones* 3 years from August 2000 £83,552pa 
			 Misuse of Drugs Advisory Body:   
			 Jean Southworth* (Appointed by the Lord Chancellor) April 1999 to 20 April 2001 £363 per day 
			 Misuse of Drugs Advisory Tribunal:   
			 Helen Sarkany* 3 years from 1 July 1997 £422 per day 
			 Helen Sarkany* (Appointed by the Lord Chancellor) 3 years from 1 July 2000 £452 per day 
			 Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner:   
			 John Scampion (Immigration Services Commissioner) 5 years from May 2000 £91,670pa 
			 Parole Board:   
			 Usha Prashar 8 October 1997 to October 2000 £58,524pa 
			 David Hatch 3 years from November 2000 £55,000pa 
			 Police Discipline Appeals Tribunal:   
			 Louise Godfey May 1997 for an unspecified term £417 per day 
			 Police Information Technology Organisation   
			 Lt. Gen. Sir Edmund Burton 2 years from January 2001 £120,000pa 
			 Prison/Probation Accreditation Panel:   
			 Sir Duncan Nichol 3 years from May 1999 £500 per day 
			 Sentencing Advisory Panel:   
			 Prof. Martin Wasik (Appointed by the Lord Chancellor) 3 years from July 1999 £250 per day 
			 Youth Justice Board for England and Wales   
			 Lord Warner of Brockley 5 years from 30 September 1998 £85,000pa 
			 Chairs of Commissions:   
			 Charity Commission:   
			 John Stoker (Chief Charity Commissioner) 5 years from July 1999 £92,112pa 
			 Commission for Racial Equality:   
			 See above. — — 
			 Chairs of Inquiries:   
			 Lawrence Inquiry:   
			 Sir William Macpherson of Cluny 31 July 1997 to 15 February 1999 — 
		
	
	* Reappointment.
	Chairs of Agencies:
	None of the Agencies sponsored by the Home Office is headed by a Chair.
	Chairs of Task Forces:
	Information on the number, remit and membership of taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000, and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 31 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report: "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", was issued in October 2001, covers the period of the financial year 2000–01. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries.

Entry Clearance Refusals

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from (a) the European Union, (b) the Commonwealth and (c) other countries were refused entry in the UK during 2001.

Angela Eagle: I regret that the information requested is not currently available.
	Statistics on the number of persons refused entry and subsequently removed by nationality are due to be published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration Statistics 2001" later this year.

Police Complaints Authority

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discretion the Police Complaints Authority has to publish information to inform the public of the outcome of its investigations.

John Denham: Section 80 of the Police Act 1996 allows the Police Complaints Authority to publish summary or other general statements which do not identify the person from whom the information is received or any person to whom it relates.
	In accordance with section 79 of the 1996 Act, the Authority also publishes an annual report on the discharge of its functions, which includes statistical data on outcomes.

Labour Party Conference (Policing)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what representations he received urging him to make available additional resources to South Wales police to deal with the costs associated with the Labour Party's spring conference; and what they requested;
	(2)  what additional funding he made available to South Wales police to deal with the costs associated with the Labour Party's spring conference in Cardiff.

John Denham: Representations were received from the Chief Constable of South Wales about the cost of policing in Labour Party spring conference. The additional costs were estimated at £406,000.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has decided to exceptionally make a special grant to the South Wales police of £275,000.

Industrial Action

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

Angela Eagle: No days were lost to industrial action in the Home Office and its agencies during 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Bogus Callers

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will organise a national campaign to alert people, especially the elderly, to the dangers of bogus callers to their homes; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Bogus caller crime is nasty and pernicious because it is targeted at the most vulnerable in our community—the elderly. In April 2000 the Home Department launched a campaign, the National Distraction Burglary Task Force, in partnership with utility companies, voluntary groups, local authorities and the police. So far, Good Practice Guides and Toolkits have been produced. Campaigns are now under way in all regions across England and Wales to alert older people and their families to the problem. The Task Force also raises awareness among workers who call at older people's homes. The advice being given to older people is to remember the doorstep etiquette "Stop, Chain, Check", and not let anyone whom they do not know into their homes without a prearranged appointment. I believe that the work of the Task Force is an excellent example of central and local government co-operating with the private and voluntary sectors to combat crime.

Car Theft

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to prevent police forces charging victims of car theft the cost of garaging their vehicles while forensic tests are carried out; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The police have a power under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to remove a vehicle that has been left or parked illegally, obstructively or dangerously, or that has been abandoned or broken down. This may include vehicles that have been stolen. Where a vehicle is so removed, the police have a power to require the owner to meet the costs associated with that removal and subsequent storage. The police do not charge for the storage of vehicles that they retain as evidence or for forensic examination.
	Removal and storage costs have to be met, but we are very sympathetic to the sense of injustice that a person may feel in having to meet these costs in order to recover his or her vehicle after it has been stolen. We are considering whether there are any changes to the current position that might be both possible and appropriate, taking into account all the relevant considerations.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 19 December 2001 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent Mr. N. Koudreiko of Fraserburgh.

Angela Eagle: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Rooker wrote to the hon. Member on 12 February 2002. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

Sentencing

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase powers of courts to issue custodial sentences for (a) mobile phone theft, (b) car-jacking and (c) possession of drugs with intent to supply.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The courts already have very extensive sentencing powers to deal with this kind of offending. The circumstances of the offence will determine whether a person stealing a mobile phone is convicted of theft or robbery. The latter is the more serious offence because it necessarily involves force or the threat of force. The maximum penalty for theft is seven years imprisonment and the maximum penalty for robbery is life imprisonment. Car-jacking is charged as robbery. Moreover, section 109 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 provides for an automatic life sentence for a second serious sexual or violent offence. The offence of robbery is a qualifying offence under section 109.
	Similarly, extensive sentencing powers are available in order to provide public protection in respect of supply of drugs. The maximum penalty for possessing class A drugs with the intent to supply is life imprisonment. The maximum penalty for possessing class B drugs with intent to supply is 14 years and the maximum penalty for possessing class C drugs with intent to supply is five years imprisonment. Section 110 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years for a third class A drug trafficking offence.
	The Government share public concern about the increasing prevalence of mobile phone robbery and car-jacking and about the continuing threats posed by drug offending. We need to protect the public from the harm that this kind of offending can inflict upon our communities. It is important that the courts treat these offences with the seriousness they deserve.
	We are committed to making sense of sentencing. We need a new sentencing framework which will do more to support crime reduction and reparation, while meeting the needs of punishment, through the introduction of more flexible sentencing options such as a new generic community sentence and a new suspended sentence. We need to be better able to exploit the developing opportunities to work with offenders to reduce re-offending and in the new approaches to restorative justice and reparation.

Immigration Detainees

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were held, by venue, under immigration law, at the latest available date.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 February 2002
	The latest available information on the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers by place of detention relates to 30 September 2001 and is given in the table.
	
		
			  Place of detention(47) Immigration Act detainees as at 30 September 2001(48) 
		
		
			 Oakington Reception Centre 195 
			   
			 Immigration detention centres  
			 Tinsley House 125 
			 Harmondsworth 100 
			 Campsfield House 80 
			 Dover Harbour 20 
			 Dungavel 20 
			 Manchester Airport 10 
			   
			  Dedicated Immigration Service wings 
			 Rochester 180 
			 Haslar 150 
			 Lindholme 105 
			   
			 Prison establishments  
			 Liverpool 95 
			 Wandsworth 65 
			 Holme House 45 
			 High Down 45 
			 Cardiff 40 
			 Gateside 40 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 30 
			 Manchester 20 
			 Brixton 15 
			 The Verne 15 
			 Winchester 15 
			 Belmarsh 10 
			 The Mount 10 
			 Craiginches 10 
			 Pentonville 10 
			 Leeds 10 
			 Blakenhurst 10 
			 Bullingdon 10 
			   
			 Other prison establishments(49) 150 
			 Total 1,620 
		
	
	(47) Figures rounded to the nearest five, and exclude persons detained in police cells.
	(48) Figures include 260 persons detained in prison establishments under dual immigration and other powers.
	(49) Other prison establishments with five or fewer detainees.
	The temporary use of spaces in a number of local prisons ended in mid-January 2002, as did the use of the accommodation at Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Rochester.
	Information on Immigration Act detainees as at 29 December 2001 will be published on 28 February 2002 on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration1.html.

Family Visitor Appeals

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the gross and (b) the net income for (i) oral and (ii) paper appeals during the first year of operation of family visitor appeals; and what were the administrative costs of the scheme.

Angela Eagle: The figures requested by my hon. Friend are as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			   Net income Gross income 
		
		
			 Paper 58,900 100,500 
			 Oral 45,125 160,625 
		
	
	Note:
	Net figures exclude refund payments made by the Home Office.
	The Joint Entry Clearance Unit estimate Foreign and Commonwealth Office costs for the scheme as a whole at about £1.4 million in the first year, including set-up costs. The Lord Chancellor's Department spent £883,000 on the administration of appeals in the six months April to September 2001. Home Office administrative costs for the first year reached around £4,200.

Police Expenditure (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the per capita expenditure on police in East Sussex was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001; and what the national average was in those years.

John Denham: Figures are not available separately for East Sussex. The gross cost per capita for Sussex in 1997–98 was £117.8 and in 2001–02 it is estimated at £132.5. The gross cost on an average per capita basis in England and Wales was £138.4 in 1997–98 and estimated at £165.5 in 2001–02.
	Explanatory Note: All figures are from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics: 1997–98 Actuals and 2001–02 Estimates.

West Mercia Police

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to increase the numbers of police officers in West Mercia by the number needed for it to reach the average of the 35 English and Welsh forces.

John Denham: I understand that, subject to available funding being raised through the council tax, the authority has plans to increase the force's budgeted strength by 300 officers over the next three years to a total of 2,424. Based on current population estimates, this would take the force to a ratio of 212 officers per 100,000 population.

Police Officers (Public Health Care)

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police authorities provide private healthcare for their officers; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: This information is not collected centrally.

Cyclists

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to police forces on penalising cyclists who (a) advance over the stop line and (b) ride without rear lights.

John Denham: Police officers take appropriate action against cyclists who break road traffic laws in this way and who are a hazard to themselves and to other road users when they do so. We see no need for central guidance to police forces on this issue. Chief officers of police are best placed to decide the level of priority given to such offences in the light of local circumstances and other demands on police time and resources.

Drug Addicts

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who were addicts of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine continued their habits after serving their sentences in each of the last five years; and what proportion died from drug misuse in the 12 month period after leaving prison.

Beverley Hughes: There are currently no figures available on how many inmates coming into prison addicted to heroin or cocaine resume their habit after serving their sentences. However, the Home Office is currently conducting research in this area and aims to publish a report on the findings in the summer.
	Similarly, there are currently no figures available on drug-related deaths among ex-prisoners. The Home Office is currently conducting research in this area and aims to publish a report on the findings in May.
	Copies of both reports will be placed in the Library.

Detainee Deaths

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy in relation to all deaths in police custody, prisons and immigration detention centres, to provide the family of the deceased person with a copy of any investigation carried out into his or her death.

John Denham: The Government recognise the frustration and sadness that can be caused through any lack of communication and information in these cases.
	Police investigating officers' reports form a class which the courts have ruled is entitled to public interest immunity.
	Current Home Office guidance to the police on pre-inquest disclosure states that
	"disclosure of the investigating officer's report will not normally be expected to form part of the pre-inquest disclosure. That does not mean, however, that it is impossible for such a report to be disclosed where a chief officer considers that it would be right to do so".
	There is no existing legal obligation on the police to make such a disclosure unless directed to do so by a court. However, the Police Reform Bill currently before Parliament includes a presumption in favour of the disclosure of information. The Bill expressly allows this duty to be fulfilled through the provision of a copy of the investigation report subject to a statutory test that will ensure no information that has the potential for causing harm is released.
	Since 1999 the Prison Service has operated a policy of disclosure of investigation reports into deaths in prison custody to the family of the deceased. The Immigration Service would also disclose their investigation reports into deaths in immigration detention centres to the family of the deceased.

Prison Hospital Suicides

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) assessment he has made of and (b) steps he has taken to ascertain the accuracy of record keeping about the monitoring of suicide risks in prison hospitals.

Beverley Hughes: Those prisoners judged at risk of suicide or self-harm, whether in health care centres or other parts of prisons, are the subject of the "caring for prisoners at risk procedures" (the F2052SH system). Suicide prevention teams in each establishment examine this work and the quality of the procedures. The system is being reviewed as part of the Prison Service's three year suicide prevention strategy with the aim of improving the identification of those at risk and the subsequent care provided.

Telecommunications Masts

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the process is to ensure that tetra base stations comply with relevant guidelines on limits of exposure to the public.

John Denham: Terrestrial Trunked Radio System (TETRA) base stations for the police service are installed by the telecommunications operator for Airwave, mm02 which must comply with planning regulations and health and safety guidelines.
	The Radiocommunications Agency (RA) of the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) is currently conducting a programme of checks on airwave base stations to ensure that the guidelines on limits of exposure are being met. The RA currently expect to publish the results obtained from the first six base stations tested on their website in mid June 2002. The extent of further work will be determined once the data obtained from these tests have been fully analysed.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets are set for replying to correspondence from members of the public to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and what the level of performance is.

Angela Eagle: One million pieces of correspondence were received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) post room in Croydon, during the last 12 months. The targets in the Public Service Agreement 2000–01 to 2003–04 commits all Home Office Directorates, including IND, to replying to 95 per cent. of public correspondence within 20 working days. Figures are not currently available for IND's present performance against the standards relating to public correspondence, but we aim to send a substantive reply to all letters as soon as possible.
	Improving performance against published targets for dealing with correspondence is recognised as a priority for IND as part of the wider Home Office programme to modernise business processes and information management.

Prison Capacity (Wymott and Garth)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to (a) increase the prison population and (b) extend the site at (i) HMP Wymott and (ii) HMP Garth; and what recent discussions his Department has had with the (A) governor and (B) Prison Officers' Association on plans to extend (x) HMP Wymott and (y) HMP Garth.

Beverley Hughes: In order to meet possible need for extra capacity, the Prison Service has an overall strategy of applying for planning consent at prison sites where building more accommodation is a viable option.
	Wymott and Garth prisons are two such sites. Planning consent has been in place to build an extra houseblock at each site since 1996. Applications have recently been made to extend this consent before it expires in order to keep all options open.
	While the governor and Prison Officers' Association at each prison may be aware of the existing planning consent, no discussions have taken place as there are no plans to build at either prison in the near future. If the situation should change there will be the usual full and frank discussion.

Young Offenders

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders 
	(1)  from each parliamentary constituency in the Greater London area were sentenced to custodial sentences in young offenders institutions in 2001;
	(2)  within each Metropolitan police divisional borough were sentenced to custodial sentences in young offenders institutions in 2001;
	(3)  within each parliamentary constituency in the Greater London area were sentenced to serve (a) less than one year, (b) one to three years and (c) three or more years in a young offenders institution in 2001;
	(4)  within each Metropolitan police divisional borough were sentenced to serve (a) less than one year, (b) one to three years and (c) three or more years in a young offenders institution in 2001.

Keith Bradley: Information collected centrally does not allow a breakdown by parliamentary constituency in the Greater London area.
	The available, information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, relating to England and Wales 2000 is shown in the table. These data give offenders aged 10–17 sentenced to custodial sentences within the Metropolitan police area for (a) under one year, (b) one year and under three years and (c) over three years.
	Information on court proceedings for 2001 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of persons aged 10–17 sentenced to custodial sentences in the Metropolitan police area shown by magistrates court (the committing court in Crown court cases) England and Wales 2000(50)
		
			  Custodial sentence  
			  Young offender institution Detention and training order Secure training order  
			 Sentencing court (Committing court in Crown court cases) Under 1 year 1 year and up to 2 years  Total Under 1 year 1 year and up to 2 years  Total Under 1 year 1 year and up to 2 years  Total 
		
		
			  Inner London magistrates courts(51) 
			 Bow Street 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge 1 4 5 1 6 7 0 0 0 
			 Greenwich/Woolwich 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 
			 Highbury Corner 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Horseferry Road 0 1 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 
			 Marylebone 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 South Western 0 1 1 5 0 5 0 0 0 
			 Thames 4 2 6 5 3 8 0 0 0 
			 West London 1 1 2 5 5 10 0 0 0 
			 Camberwell Youth court 24 4 28 78 13 91 1 0 1 
			 South Western Youth court 0 1 1 33 6 39 0 0 0 
			 Thames Youth court 12 6 18 57 31 88 0 0 0 
			 West London Youth court 27 3 30 59 8 67 0 0 0 
			   
			  Outer London boroughs   
			 Barking and Dagenham 5 0 5 17 4 21 0 0 0 
			 Havering 2 1 3 12 1 13 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge 2 1 3 6 3 9 0 0 0 
			 Newham 4 3 7 51 7 58 0 0 0 
			 Waltham Forest 8 1 9 23 3 26 0 0 0 
			 Bexley 3 0 3 11 1 12 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 2 0 2 6 3 9 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 8 2 10 21 15 36 0 0 0 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 4 0 4 10 0 10 0 0 0 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 4 0 4 4 1 5 0 0 0 
			 Sutton 3 0 3 16 1 17 0 0 0 
			 Merton 0 0 0 13 3 16 0 0 0 
			 Ealing 5 2 7 14 4 18 1 0 1 
			 Barnet 3 5 8 18 10 28 0 0 0 
			 Brent 3 2 5 13 8 21 0 0 0 
			 Enfield 6 1 7 10 8 18 0 0 0 
			 Harringey 1 7 8 28 4 32 0 0 0 
			 Harrow 2 0 2 8 2 10 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon 6 1 7 25 6 31 0 0 0 
			 Hounslow 4 2 6 17 1 18 0 0 0 
			   
			 Other (not recorded) 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Total 144 53 197 574 160 734 3 0 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Custodial sentence  
			  Section 90–92(52) Total immediate custody  
			 Sentencing court (Committing court in Crown court cases) Under 1 year 1 year and under 3 years  3 years and over Total Under 1 year 1 year and under 3 years 3 years and over Total 
		
		
			  Inner London magistrates courts(51)
			 Bow Street 0 0 4 4 1 1 4 6 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge 0 0 5 5 2 10 5 17 
			 Greenwich/Woolwich 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 4 
			 Highbury Corner 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 
			 Horseferry Road 0 0 2 2 1 3 2 6 
			 Marylebone 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 
			 South Western 0 1 2 3 5 2 2 9 
			 Thames 0 2 1 3 9 7 1 17 
			 West London 0 0 6 6 6 6 6 18 
			 Camberwell Youth court 0 4 12 16 103 21 12 136 
			 South Western Youth court 0 1 8 9 33 8 8 49 
			 Thames Youth court 0 5 13 18 69 42 13 124 
			 West London Youth court 0 4 4 8 86 15 4 105 
			  
			  Outer London boroughs  
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 1 1 22 4 1 27 
			 Havering 0 0 1 1 14 2 1 17 
			 Redbridge 0 0 0 0 8 4 0 12 
			 Newham 0 0 5 5 55 10 5 70 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 6 6 31 4 6 41 
			 Bexley 0 0 1 1 14 1 1 16 
			 Bromley 0 0 1 1 8 3 1 12 
			 Croydon 0 2 4 6 29 19 4 52 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 0 0 4 4 14 0 4 18 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 0 1 1 2 8 2 1 11 
			 Sutton 0 0 2 2 19 1 2 22 
			 Merton 0 2 0 2 13 5 0 18 
			 Ealing 0 0 1 1 20 6 1 27 
			 Barnet 1 2 0 3 22 17 0 39 
			 Brent 0 1 2 3 16 11 2 29 
			 Enfield 0 1 0 1 16 10 0 26 
			 Harringey 0 0 6 6 29 11 6 46 
			 Harrow 0 0 0 0 10 2 0 12 
			 Hillingdon 0 1 1 2 31 8 1 40 
			 Hounslow 0 0 2 2 21 3 2 26 
			  
			 Other (not recorded) 1 3 5 9 4 3 5 12 
			 Total 2 30 103 135 723 243 103 1,069 
		
	
	(50) These data are on the principal offence basis
	(51) Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by borough in the Inner London area
	(52) Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (previously section 53(1) and (2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933)

Young Offenders

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how 
	(1)  many young offenders within each Metropolitan police divisional borough are serving custodial sentences in young offenders institutions;
	(2)  how many young offenders from each parliamentary constituency in the Greater London area are serving custodial sentences in young offenders institutions.

Beverley Hughes: The data show young offenders who were serving custodial sentences on 31 January 2002 and were first committed in a Greater London court. Addresses of inmates prior to custody are not held centrally. Attempting to break these figures down by constituency or Metropolitan police divisional borough would not be accurate, as young offenders are not always committed at a court within the constituency where they live.
	
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 Acton/Harrow 84 
			 Barking 20 
			 Barnet 4 
			 Bexley 12 
			 Bow 4 
			 Brent 7 
			 Bromley 12 
			 Camberwell Green 41 
			 Central Criminal Court 182 
			 Croydon 154 
			 Ealing 4 
			 Enfield 7 
			 Family Proceedings Courts (Inner London) 2 
			 Feltham 9 
			 Greenwich 9 
			 Haringey 21 
			 Harrow 9 
			 Havering 11 
			 Hendon 4 
			 Highbury 15 
			 Horseferry road 11 
			 Inner London Session House 169 
			 Isleworth 117 
			 Kingston-Upon-Thames 96 
			 Knightsbridge 63 
			 Middlesex Guildhall 48 
			 Redbridge 1 
			 Snaresbrook 140 
			 South Western 22 
			 Southwark 91 
			 Stratford 13 
			 Sutton 3 
			 Thames 36 
			 Tower Bridge 4 
			 Uxbridge 14 
			 Waltham Forest 13 
			 West London 17 
			 Wimbledon 6 
			 Wood Green 69 
			 Woolwich 44 
			  
			 All 1,588

Long Lartin Prison

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on recruitment and retention of prison officers and other staff at Long Lartin prison.

Beverley Hughes: As at January 2002 Long Lartin prison had a total number of 514.5 unified staff against a target of 517 and 140.5 non-unified staff against a target of 141.5. The small number of vacancies will be filled shortly.
	Long Lartin is located in a low unemployment area and while housing costs are rising this has not caused any significant problems with recruitment. Equally there is no difficulty recruiting other members of staff, with the possible exception of civilian works staff.

Arrests

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the time taken by police officers to complete the paperwork and processes necessary after arresting an individual; and what estimate he has made of the changes in that time associated with new (a) legislation, (b) regulations and (c) Government guidance since 1997.

John Denham: On 1 November 2001, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published PA Consulting's study "Diary of a Police Officer" which had considered what more could be done to free police officers from unnecessary paperwork and other obstacles which prevent them from spending more time in public. The study found that officers were spending 43.1 per cent. of their time in the police station.
	In the White Paper "Policing a New Century" (CM 5326), published on 5 December 2001, my right hon. Friend announced that he was setting up a task force, chaired by Sir David O'Dowd, to consider how to take forward the recommendations in this, and other, relevant reports, in order to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on the police.

Arrests

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual arrests were carried out by police forces in England and Wales during each of the last three years for which records are available.

John Denham: Information given in the table is for arrests for notifiable offences within the financial years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. Information for earlier years is not available on a consistent basis.
	
		Persons arrested for notifiable offences recorded by the police by police force area, 1999–00 and 2000/01 -- England and Wales
		
			 Police force area 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 21,856 27,156 
			 Bedfordshire 13,011 14,541 
			 Cambridgeshire 12,418 12,153 
			 Cheshire 18,202 16,959 
			 Cleveland 20,521 18,019 
			 Cumbria 15,568 13,226 
			 Derbyshire 18,499 17,848 
			 Devon and Cornwall 24,609 25,658 
			 Dorset 12,471 11,002 
			 Durham (53)— (53)— 
			 Essex 24,405 26,581 
			 Gloucestershire 11,352 11,155 
			 Greater Manchester 73,366 68,803 
			 Hampshire 42,598 39,420 
			 Hertfordshire 14,115 15,749 
			 Humberside (53)— 26,766 
			 Kent 34,684 30,360 
			 Lancashire 37,535 36,998 
			 Leicestershire 17,999 17,800 
			 Lincolnshire 20,700 16,618 
			 London, City of (53)— 4,286 
			 Merseyside 44,315 45,598 
			 Metropolitan police 202,218 180,634 
			 Norfolk 16,313 15,461 
			 Northamptonshire 12,730 11,598 
			 Northumbria 47,295 41,150 
			 North Yorkshire 20,353 18,319 
			 Nottinghamshire 33,001 32,707 
			 South Yorkshire 34,727 33,573 
			 Staffordshire (53)— (53)— 
			 Suffolk 10,787 10,706 
			 Surrey 12,993 15,590 
			 Sussex 24,183 30,302 
			 Thames Valley 43,738 44,575 
			 Warwickshire 8,377 7,073 
			 West Mercia 21,172 18,235 
			 West Midlands 78,592 91,685 
			 West Yorkshire 44,800 62,410 
			 Wiltshire 10,498 10,031 
			 Dyfed-Powys 14,057 13,036 
			 Gwent 27,829 24,642 
			 North Wales 12,653 14,843 
			 South Wales (53)— 34,838 
			  
			 England and Wales(54) 1,277,900 1,264,200 
		
	
	(53) Not available
	(54) Estimated

Volunteering

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made following the announcement in January 2001 of a package to develop volunteering; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: As part of the 2000 spending review settlement, the Government announced an extra £300 million for volunteering initiatives over three years, 2001–02 to 2003–04. £60 million was available to other Government Departments for match funding in supporting the use of volunteers in public sector services. The funding is worth a total of £120 million over three years when matched. 24 proposals were approved and are currently on course to involve an additional 290,000 volunteers in public service delivery by the end of March 2004.
	Proposals for a second round of funding will be taken forward shortly.
	A Mentoring Programme has been established which is providing: funding to develop the mentoring infrastructure; more money for mentoring already going on in local communities; and seven one-stop-shops for mentoring to be known as Mentor Points.
	In addition, the Experience Corps Company has been established which, with funding of some £20 million, has started the roll-out (in November 2001) of an initiative aimed at encouraging a quarter of a million people aged 50 and over to become or remain active in their communities.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Information on sickness absence and compensation payments due to 'work-related' stress are not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department, however, monitors through its staff surveys factors relating to work place stress including work load and working conditions. The Department has taken action to address some of the main identified factors, including improving communication arrangements and filling vacancies. The Home Office is committed to supporting staff in achieving a balance between their work and home responsibilities and has a range of flexible working patterns to help staff achieve this.
	A welfare service is available and offers personal support for staff suffering from any form of stress. In addition, stress awareness workshops are available to staff and managers. Information on how to recognise stress and suggested coping strategies, is accessible via the Home Office Intranet; leaflets entitled "Stress and You", are also available.
	The Department is aware of its obligations to provide a safe working environment and takes steps to ensure that it meets the requirements of health and safety legislation.

Youth Offending Teams

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who inspects the functioning of youth offending teams; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The operation of youth offending teams and the programmes they run are subject to a range of independent evaluation and monitoring commissioned and operated by the Youth Justice Board. The Board is also developing a tool to help them measure the effectiveness of youth offending teams' services. Evaluation of the pilot youth offending teams and the new final warnings scheme has been published by Sheffield university, and are available in the Library. Evaluations of the new intervention programmes will be published this spring.
	Two youth offending team inspections have been carried out by multi-disciplinary inspection teams. The Home Office, in consultation with the Youth Justice Board, is developing a strategy for new independent inspection arrangements.

City of London Corporation (Events)

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those functions, engagements and events which Ministers, his officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people, broken down by nationality, on (a) temporary admission and (b) temporary release, applied for leave to enter on the grounds of marriage in each year from 1995 to the latest convenient date in 2001; and how many such applications in each year were (i) granted and (ii) refused.

Angela Eagle: The available information is given in the table.
	The information relates to decisions on applications for leave to remain on the basis of marriage, by main nationality for 1995 to 2000, the latest year available. Data for 2001 are due to be published in the summer this year. It is not possible to identify how many of the decisions were made in cases were the applicant was on temporary admission or release.
	
		Grants and refusal of extensions of leave to remain(55) in the United Kingdom on the basis of marriage(56) by nationality, excluding EEA Nationals, 1995–2000
		
			   1995  1996  
			  Grants Refusals Total decisions Grants Refusals Total decisions 
		
		
			 All nationalities 17,560 1,590 19,150 17,060 1,410 18,470 
			
			 Europe (excluding EEA)   
			 Bulgaria 60 (61)— 60 70 (61)— 80 
			 Cyprus 120 (61)— 120 150 (61)— 150 
			 Former Czechoslovakia 150 (61)— 150 200 (61)— 200 
			 of which:   
			 Czech Republic(57) (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Slovakia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Hungary 100 (61)— 100 90 — 90 
			 Malta 30 — 30 20 — 20 
			 Poland 360 10 370 370 20 400 
			 Romania 150 (61)— 150 140 (61)— 140 
			 Switzerland 80 — 80 90 (61)— 90 
			 Turkey 550 40 590 570 30 600 
			 Former USSR 370 10 380 440 10 460 
			 of which:   
			 Estonia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Latvia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Lithuania (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Russia(58) (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Ukraine (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Other Former USSR (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Former Yugoslavia 500 10 510 410 20 430 
			 of which: (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Croatia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Slovenia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Yugoslavia(59) (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Other Former Yugoslavia (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— (62)— 
			 Other Europe 20 — 20 20 — 20 
			 Europe (excluding EEA) 2,500 80 2,580 2,580 90 2,670 
			
			 Americas   
			 Argentina 40 (61)— 40 30 — 30 
			 Barbados 40 — 40 40 (61)— 40 
			 Brazil 400 10 410 360 (61)— 370 
			 Canada 280 10 290 370 (61)— 370 
			 Chile 30 — 30 30 (61)— 30 
			 Colombia 130 10 140 150 10 160 
			 Guyana 100 10 110 80 10 100 
			 Jamaica 790 160 950 660 110 770 
			 Mexico 70 (61)— 70 60 — 60 
			 Peru 50 (61)— 50 70 (61)— 70 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 120 10 130 120 (61)— 130 
			 USA 1,340 10 1,350 1,320 10 1,330 
			 Venezuela 40 (61)— 40 40 — 40 
			 Other Americas 220 (61)— 220 190 (61)— 190 
			 Americas 3,650 220 3,870 3,520 160 3,680 
			
			 Africa   
			 Algeria 410 30 440 430 30 460 
			 Angola 20 (61)— 20 (61)— (61)— 10 
			 Congo (Dem. Rep.)(60) 20 (61)— 20 120 — 120 
			 Egypt 110 10 120 60 10 60 
			 Ethiopia 40 — 40 700 (61)— 700 
			 Ghana 870 200 1,070 210 180 390 
			 Kenya 250 30 280 30 20 50 
			 Libya 20 — 20 180 (61)— 180 
			 Mauritius 210 20 230 250 20 270 
			 Morocco 240 40 280 1,170 30 1,200 
			 Nigeria 1,350 390 1,740 300 310 620 
			 Sierra Leone 320 100 420 30 120 140 
			 Somalia 20 (61)— 20 590 (61)— 600 
			 South Africa 420 10 430 40 10 50 
			 Sudan 60 (61)— 60 110 (61)— 110 
			 Tanzania 100 (61)— 100 40 10 50 
			 Tunisia 50 (61)— 50 40 — 40 
			 Uganda 40 10 50 20 (61)— 20 
			 Zambia 80 10 90 70 10 80 
			 Zimbabwe 120 20 140 120 20 130 
			 Other Africa 300 40 340 310 50 360 
			 Africa 5,030 910 5,940 4,820 840 5,660 
			
			 Asia   
			 Indian sub-continent   
			 Bangladesh 380 30 410 370 30 410 
			 India 1,150 60 1,220 1,110 60 1,170 
			 Pakistan 1,070 150 1,220 970 120 1,090 
			 Indian sub-continent 2,610 250 2,860 2,450 210 2,660 
			   
			 Middle East   
			 Iran 140 10 150 130 (61)— 130 
			 Iraq 50 (61)— 50 40 (61)— 50 
			 Israel 140 (61)— 140 130 — 130 
			 Jordan 40 — 40 40 (61)— 40 
			 Kuwait (61)— — (61)— (61)— — (61)— 
			 Lebanon 80 (61)— 80 90 10 100 
			 Saudi Arabia 10 — 10 10 — 10 
			 Syria 40 (61)— 40 40 (61)— 40 
			 Yemen 30 (61)— 30 30 — 30 
			 Other Middle East 20 — 20 20 (61)— 30 
			 Middle East 560 20 580 540 20 560 
			
			 Remainder of Asia   
			 China 220 (61)— 220 190 (61)— 200 
			 Hong Kong 290 10 300 260 10 270 
			 Indonesia 40 — 40 30 — 30 
			 Japan 300 10 310 360 (61)— 360 
			 Malaysia 260 20 280 210 10 220 
			 Philippines 360 10 370 330 10 340 
			 Singapore 70 (61)— 70 50 (61)— 50 
			 South Korea 30 (61)— 30 40 — 40 
			 Sri Lanka 120 20 140 170 10 180 
			 Taiwan 20 — 20 30 (61)— 30 
			 Thailand 210 10 220 210 10 220 
			 Other Asia 60 (61)— 60 70 (61)— 70 
			 Remainder of Asia 1,990 90 2,080 1,970 60 2,030 
			 Asia 5,150 350 5,500 4,960 300 5,260 
			
			 Oceania   
			 Australia 70 10 710 670 10 680 
			 New Zealand 330 10 340 340 (61)— 350 
			 Other Oceania 10 (61)— 10 10 (61)— 10 
			 Oceania 1,040 20 1,060 1,020 10 1,030 
			 British Overseas citizens 40 (61)— 40 60 (61)— 60 
			 Nationality unknown 150 10 160 100 10 110 
			 All nationalities (excluding EEA) 17,560 1,590 19,150 17,060 1,410 18,470 
		
	
	(55) Excludes dependants of principal applicants, the outcome of appeals and withdrawn applications.
	(56) Includes unmarried partners from 1997.
	(57) Includes Czechoslovak passport holders.
	(58) Includes Soviet Union passport holders.
	(59) Includes holders of passports of the former Yugoslavia.
	(60) The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire.
	Note:
	Data rounded to the nearest 10 with
	(61) — = 5 or fewer
	(62) — not available

Immigration

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Bangladesh, (d) Ghana, (e) Nigeria, (f) Malaysia, (g) Jamaica, (h) Zimbabwe and (j) Kenya, (i) applied for, (ii) were granted and (iii) were refused leave to remain in the UK on the ground of marriage in (A) 2000 and (B) 2001 to the latest convenient date; and how many people of each nationality applied (1) within their permitted leave and (2) after their leave had expired.

Angela Eagle: The available information is given in the table.
	The information relates to decisions on applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom on the basis of marriage. The latest available data are for the period January to December 2000.
	It is not possible to identify how many of the decisions were made in cases where that applicant did not have current leave to remain at the time of application.
	
		Grants and refusals of extensions of leave to remain(63) in the United Kingdom on the basis of marriage(64), excluding European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, 2000
		
			   Number of decisions  
			  Grants Refusals Total 
		
		
			 India 1,640 40 1,680 
			 Pakistan 1,380 60 1,440 
			 Bangladesh 380 20 400 
			 Ghana 700 60 760 
			 Nigeria 1,520 300 1,820 
			 Malaysia 370 10 380 
			 Jamaica 2,200 130 2,330 
			 Zimbabwe 270 10 280 
			 Kenya 370 20 390 
			  
			 Total 8,830 640 9,470 
		
	
	(63) Excludes dependants of principal applicants, the outcome of appeals and withdrawn applications.
	(64) Includes unmarried partners.
	Notes:
	1. Totals may not sum due to rounding. This is because all calculations are based on unrounded figures to ensure accuracy.
	2. Data rounded to nearest 10

Youth Forums

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youth fora have been set up; and at what cost.

John Denham: There are many different types of youth forum established by local authorities, statutory agencies and voluntary organisations in order to ensure that young people are involved and consulted over policies and services relevant to them. The Government maintain no records of the numbers and costs of youth fora.

Prison Service

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the use of the private sector in the Prison Service.

Beverley Hughes: I am placing in the Library today a report of a review which the former Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw), asked Patrick Carter, a non-executive member of the Strategy Board for Correctional Services, to carry out on the future role of the private sector in the prison system.
	We believe that a mixed economy of provision is essential in achieving a modern, dynamic Prison Service.
	I am most grateful to Patrick Carter for his report, which shows how much the private sector has achieved to date providing high quality prison services at lower cost. The report also shows how well the public sector prison service has responded to the challenge of private sector competition.
	Both the public and the private sectors are important to the future of the Prison Service. Both can show big successes that benefit prisoners and the public. I want to create conditions in which both can flourish, but in which both have to continually prove themselves. I believe the overall thrust of the recommendations of the report will achieve this. Some can be implemented straight away, but others need further work or will have to be subject to discussions in the current spending review and our wider vision for modernising the Prison Service.
	The proposal that under-performing prisons should be required to show how they will meet tough benchmarked standards, or face contracting out or closure, offers the potential for big improvements in performance and value for money. I announced on 19 December 2001 the first scheme of this kind, at Her Majesty's Prison Leicester and Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre Reading.
	The report also provides a welcome contribution to finding ways of bringing the aging prison estate into the 21st century. I will consider this as part of our current assessment of the options for providing a range of carefully targeted new approaches to dealing with offenders, and the spending review.
	I note the recommendation for a limited programme of market testing. For the moment, I believe the performance testing process I have announced offers a better, faster and cheaper means of improvement. But I do not rule out using market testing again in the future.
	The private sector has demonstrated that it can make a valuable contribution to the delivery of a high quality service by prisons. This report outlines a way ahead for their continued involvement.

Justice and Home Affairs Council

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a Scottish Executive Minister will be a member of the UK delegation to the Justice and Home Affairs European Union Council of Ministers meeting on 28 February; and what information is being provided by his Department to permit pre-council scrutiny by the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

Angela Eagle: Arrangements for co-ordination of European Union policy issues between Scottish Executive Ministers and the United Kingdom (UK) Government are set out in the Corcordat on co- ordination of European Union Policy issues, which supplements the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the devolved administrations and the UK Government. The Concordat states that decisions on Ministerial attendance at Council meetings will be taken on a case-by-case basis by the lead UK Minister, which in the case of the Justice and Home Affairs Council is my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
	Scottish Executive Ministers participate in the Justice and Home Affairs Council from time to time, when issues of particular interest to Scotland are on the agenda. They are not expected to attend on 28 February 2002. The Home Office is in frequent contact with the Scottish Executive Justice Department on European issues.
	With regard to pre-Council scrutiny of European Union proposals, Explanatory Memoranda are circulated to the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament at the same time as they are deposited in the UK Parliament.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Staff

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff left the service of his Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many his Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age.

Ian McCartney: A total of 15,804 people left the ex-DSS and ex-ES areas, which now make up the Department of Work and Pensions, during the year ending 31 March 2001.
	Of that number 15,287 were under the formal retirement age of 60 years.
	Of those leaving under the age of 60 years, 296 were entitled to receive either a severance payment or early retirement benefits from the Department.

Disability Living Allowance (Scotland)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in (a) the Angus constituency and (b) Scotland have been awarded a reduced level of DLA when applying for a further award.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available for Scotland or for individual constituencies. In 2000–01 about 17,900 people in Great Britain were awarded a lower amount of disability living allowance when they renewed their claims.

Disability Living Allowance (Scotland)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in (a) the Angus constituency and (b) Scotland are in receipt of the mobility element of DLA at the (i) higher, (ii) middle and (iii) lower rate; and what the figures are in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table. There is no middle rate of the disability living allowance mobility component.
	
		Numbers of disability living allowance mobility component recipients in the Angus constituency and Scotland
		
			  Angus Scotland  
			  Higher rate Lower rate Higher rate Lower rate 
		
		
			 1997 1,500 500 152,600 42,100 
			 1998 1,600 600 155,900 46,700 
			 1999 1,600 600 156,500 50,500 
			 2000 1,700 700 159,700 54,600 
			 2001 1,900 800 166,100 60,600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Scotland figures and 1997 constituency figures are from 5 per cent. sample and rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. Constituency figures from 1998 onwards are from 100 per cent. extract and rounded to the nearest 1000.
	3. Figures are at 31 May each year.
	Source:
	ASD Information Centre

Disability Living Allowance (Scotland)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in (a) the Angus constituency and (b) Scotland are in receipt of disability living allowance; and what the figures are for each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Numbers of disability living allowance recipients in the Angus constituency and Scotland
		
			  Angus Scotland 
		
		
			 1997 2,300 214,200 
			 1998 2,500 224,900 
			 1999 2,600 230,600 
			 2000 2,800 237,300 
			 2001 3,000 249,600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Scotland figures and 1997 constituency figure from 5 per cent. sample and rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. Constituency figures for 1998 onwards from 100 per cent. extract and rounded to the nearest 100.
	3. Figures are at 31 May each year.
	Source:
	ASD Information Centre

Disability Living Allowance (Scotland)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in (a) the Angus constituency and (b) Scotland have been refused DLA when applying for a further award.

Maria Eagle: This information is not available for Scotland or for individual constituencies. In 2000–01 about 36,600 people in Great Britain made unsuccessful renewal claims for disability living allowance.

Visual and Aural Impairment

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that those from the deaf and blind communities are able to contact their hon. Member through the provision of Braille translation and typing facilities and in lip speaking and lip reading training.

Maria Eagle: Hon. Members have duties as service providers under the Disability Discrimination Act to make reasonable adjustments so that their disabled constituents can access their services. In October, I wrote to all hon. Members reminding them of their duties under the Act and enclosing some guidance to help them. Hon. Members may also wish to refer to a revised Code of Practice on Rights of Access which was published by the Disability Rights Commission today. The new Code explains the law and provides practical guidance for service providers.

Visual and Aural Impairment

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with (a) the RNIB about the use of Braille by public services and (b) the RNID about the use of (i) text phones, (ii) lip speaking and (iii) sign language by public services.

Maria Eagle: The Department is committed to providing services that are accessible to people with hearing or visual impairments. For example, Benefits Agency leaflets are available in Braille, large print and audio cassette; the Child Support Agency widely advertises its text phone service; and the Employment Service has regular contacts with the RNIB and the RNID about accessibility issues. Last February, the then Department for Education and Employment arranged for guidance, known as "Let's Make it Accessible", to be distributed to other Government Departments. It explains how to adopt a good practice approach in providing information to disabled people.
	I regularly meet representatives of the major disability charities including the RNIB and the RNID. Most recently I have had discussions with the Chief Executive of the RNID about a videotelephony project to allow a remote British Sign Language interpreter service.

Fraud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux on its implementation of fraud prevention methods, with particular regard to local authorities.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has consulted with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux during the development of performance standards for housing benefit. The standards set out the requirements for providing secure and effective housing benefit and council tax benefit administration and counter-fraud activity.
	The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate will be consulting the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux in the near future over the revision of the model claim form for housing benefit and council tax benefit. A revised version of the form will be issued to all local authorities in April this year.

Fraud

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of claimants found to have made fraudulent social security claims were prosecuted in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fraud

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We are taking determined steps to combat internal fraud. We have published an internal fraud policy that sets out staff responsibilities, and appointed a senior accountable officer and a supporting central probity team. There are also security specialists and staff to investigate suspected internal fraud vigorously when it arises. We know that the overwhelming majority of staff are completely honest and trustworthy, and instances of internal fraud are not common, but we remain vigilant.
	The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in the current financial year.
	The available information for the Employment Service, as recorded by the former Department for Education and Employment, and for the former Department of Social Security is in the tables.
	
		Internal and contractor fraud in the Employment Service by financial year
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 972,42.00 
			 1998–99 54,107.01 
			 1999–2000 45,621.83 
			 2000–01 3,023.20 
		
	
	
		Internal fraud in the former Department of Social Security by financial year
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 942,378.74 
			 1998–99 443,964.03 
			 1999–2000 416,967.11 
			 2000–01 71,112.34

Local Exchange Trading Schemes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice his Department is giving to local offices on the subject of local exchange trading schemes.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 3 July 2001, Official Report, column 135W.

Secondments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and Civil Service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 12 February 2002
	Secondments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange is a key component of the civil service reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out.
	I have placed a table in the Library which sets out the number of staff recorded as having been seconded in to the Department (including Employment Service and the former Department of Social Security) from May 1997 to the present date. Other inward secondments of three months or more recorded centrally were from the voluntary sector, local government and other parts of the public sector. Each of the entries relates to a single person.
	For reasons of confidentiality names of individuals have not been given.

Ministerial Boxes

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to (a) himself and (b) his Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties.

Maria Eagle: In accordance with central guidance on security, ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to Minister's homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail.

Correspondence

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many letters the Minister for Disabled People has received at her Department's address in the last 12 months; and how many have been passed to other Ministers for answer.

Maria Eagle: Since becoming Minister for Disabled People at the start of this Parliament I have received 636 letters for ministerial reply. I have replied personally to 354 of these that were about matters within my responsibilities. The others were passed to ministerial colleagues. I have also replied to a further 507 letters that were addressed to ministerial colleagues.

Minimum Income Guarantee Helpline

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people staff the minimum income guarantee helpline; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The minimum income guarantee claim line currently employs 75 staff, of which 51 are employed as claim line operators. The MIG claim line is open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. There are three daily shift patterns to ensure that most of the operators are available at peak hours.

Minimum Income Guarantee Helpline

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the minimum income guarantee helpline cost in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The total running cost for the minimum income guarantee claim line for the 12 month period ending 31 December 2001 was £1.63 million.

Heating Allowance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from organisations representing disabled citizens seeking the extension of heating allowance paid to senior citizens and to all housebound disabled persons.

Ian McCartney: From time to time, we have discussions with, or correspondence from, a variety of organisations representing disabled people. These can cover a range of issues which are of concern to them, which includes the eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payments.

Heating Allowance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend the heating allowance paid to senior citizens and to housebound disabled people.

Ian McCartney: Help is already available, through disability benefits and the disability premium in Income Support, in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which disabled people may have. There are no plans to extend the Winter Fuel Payment scheme to disabled people under age 60.

Pensioners

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many changes of circumstances affecting pensioners must be reported to his Department; how many cases of each are so reported each year; and what penalties are attached to failure to report without good reason.

Ian McCartney: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 13 February 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many changes of circumstances affecting pensioners must be report to his Department; how many cases of each are so reported each year; and what penalties are attached to failure to report without good reason.
	The change of circumstances that pensioners should report vary according to the benefit. These are made clear to recipients of each benefit. Examples of changes of circumstances are changes to capital, occupational pensions or hospitalisation. Certain changes may not need to be reported for Retirement Pension but must be reported for Minimum Income Guarantee purposes. Details are not available about how many changes of circumstances are not reported.
	Information available over the last two years shows that in 1999/2000 there were 6,270,268 changes of circumstances processed affecting pensioners. In 2000/2001 there were 6,527,051 changes of circumstances processed.
	The penalties considered by the Department are prosecution, administrative penalties or formal caution.

Union Duties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available, for the financial year 2001–02, is in the table:
	
		Department for Work and Pensions
		
			 Agency/body Full-time post allocation(65) Approximate cost(66) £ 
		
		
			 Headquarters 5.94 114,900(67) 
			 Benefits Agency 207.76 4,017,100 
			 Child Support Agency 28.50 551,100 
			 Employment Service 45.00 538,500 
			 Other 27.25 526,900 
			  
			 Total 314.45 5,748,500 
		
	
	(65) This is not necessarily equivalent to the number of union officials because (i) some officials are part-time; (ii) some union posts are not filled.
	(66) The figures have been calculated using average, not actual, salaries.
	(67) Amounts are rounded to the nearest one hundred pounds.

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost of his Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years.

Ian McCartney: The information on the annual cost of the DWP website www.dwp.gov.uk formerly the DSS website www.dss.gov.uk is not available throughout the last four years.
	A new DSS website was launched in August 2000 at a production cost of £183,650 for the research, design and building of the site. In December 2001 the site was rebranded for DWP and broadened to include information for the new Department at a cost of £48,193.
	In-house internet staff maintain the site and we would be unable to break these costs down without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Web hosting and provision of web services is provided by the Department's IT contractor. However, internet services are not accounted for separately and it is not possible to disentangle the costs from overall IT services.
	Hits received in each of the last four years are available from statistical records and are in the table:
	
		
			  No. of hits received on DSS/DWP website 
		
		
			 2000–01 36,415,365 
			 1999–2000 32,487,969 
			 1998–99 21,980,416 
			 1997–98 8,986,375

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We do not record details of absences specifically related to work-related stress or details of compensation payments by the alleged cause of the injury.
	We have procedures in place in each of its businesses to enable managers and individuals to identify and report those issues which are causing uncomfortable pressure at work. The detail of the procedures differs across the businesses, but the Department is confident that each procedure follows the good practice recommended by the Health and Safety Executive. The cost of operating these procedures includes variable amounts of management and staff time, plus the costs of implementing changes and adjustments to control any identified risks. These costs are not quantifiable.
	The Department intends, in the summer, to review the procedures in place across its businesses to ensure a continuum of best practice.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effect of the Working Time Directive on his Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps he is taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to improving the work-life balance of all staff, and is fully committed to implementing the provisions of the Working Time Directive. With this in mind, we are currently negotiating the detailed provisions of a collective agreement which includes measures aimed at minimising the numbers of staff working in excess of 48 hours per week, while maintaining operational effectiveness.
	Departmental records show that in 1999, 54 staff had signed a waiver to say they were working in excess of 48 hours.

Working Conditions and Practices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed in his Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
	10 people are employed on a formal job share basis. However, over 30,000 people work part-time, including some who are employed on an informal job share basis.
	Our equal opportunities statement actively promotes and supports the use of flexible working patterns to enable those working for us to balance home and work responsibilities. Vacancies are open to people with different working patterns unless real operational needs preclude it.

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years.

Ian McCartney: The average total cost to the Department of external consultations for the last four financial years was £27.85 million. This compares with an average of £41.65 million for the four years prior to that (1993–94 to 1996–97).
	The information requested is set out for each of the last four financial years in the table:
	
		
			  Cost at April 2002 prices £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 32.3 
			 1999–2000 28.9 
			 1998–99 27.5 
			 1997–98 21.9 
		
	
	Figures relate to contracts awarded by the ex- Department of Social Security. Costs for the Department for Work and Pensions for the current financial year are not yet available.
	Figures shown included costs for management consultants and IT consultants but exclude costs for contractors and professional services (accountancy, legal advice, etc.).

Housing Benefit

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target time is for housing benefit appeals to be heard by the Appeals Tribunal, from the date of application for appeal; and what the average length of time has been for appeals to be heard by the Tribunal.

Malcolm Wicks: The target for hearing housing benefit appeals is for the average waiting time from receipt by the Appeals Service to first hearing to be no more than 14 weeks. No target exists for the time taken prior to receipt of the appeal by the Appeals Service for local authorities to prepare the schedule of evidence and to forward the appeal to the Appeals Service.
	For housing benefit appeals, the average time taken from receipt at the Appeals Service and the first hearing is 8.0 weeks. The average time between being lodged at a local authority and the first hearing is 30.2 weeks.
	Notes:
	1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available.
	2. Figures are rounded to one decimal place.
	3. All figures are provisional and based on the period 1 July 2001 to 30 October 2001.
	Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

Housing Benefit

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against local authority housing benefit decisions have been (a) lodged and (b) heard since the introduction of the new appeals system in July 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is as follows:
	
		Housing benefit and housing/council tax benefit (combined) -- Total case load, appeals lodged and number of first hearings: 1 July 2001 to 31 October 2001
		
			  Housing benefit Housing/council tax benefit (combined) 
		
		
			 Total case load (August 2001)(68) 3,854,000 Not available 
			 Lodged at a local authority(69) 925 870 
			 Number of first hearings(69) 260 190 
		
	
	(68) The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple; the figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand; figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated; housing benefit figures exclude and extended payment cases; approximately 80 per cent. of housing benefit recipients also receive council tax benefit.
	Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock count taken in August 2001.
	(69) All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available; figures are rounded to the nearest five; all figures are provisional.
	Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

Benefit Payment Methods

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of benefits claimants have moved to a system of (a) automated credit transfer and (b) direct payment of benefits into a bank account since this service has been available.

Malcolm Wicks: Over 40 per cent. of benefit claimants are already paid by ACT directly into a bank or other account. The number is rising by two to three percentage points every year, showing that the status quo is not an option, because people are already voting with their feet.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants have had their benefit reduced as result of non-compliance in basic skills courses.

Malcolm Wicks: Six sanctions have been applied in the JSA basic skills pilots areas testing mandatory attendance on basic skills provision.

Community Sentence Orders

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which areas are piloting the provision in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 to reduce benefit for claimants who breach community service orders; and how many claimants in each area have been sanctioned since the pilots began.

Malcolm Wicks: There are four probation service areas piloting the provisions of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 relating to the reduction of benefit for people who breach community sentence orders. The four areas are Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Teesside and West Midlands (as detailed in SI 2001 No. 2619 (C.86)).
	The pilot began on 15 October 2001. As at 1 February 2002, a total of 272 warning letters had been issued to those referred to court for breach proceedings. On 1 February 2002 four claimants had been sanctioned: three were from the Teesside pilot area and one from West Midlands. A slow start was expected because the measures do not apply retrospectively to breaches occurring before that date.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Emergency Planning

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce (a) a programme of emergency loans for businesses affected by disaster and (b) a disaster-planning unit to produce disaster plans for foreseeable disasters.

Christopher Leslie: Advice to businesses on handling emergencies and planning for business continuity is available on the website www.ukresilience.info. The Government advice is that individual businesses should ensure that they are adequately insured.
	In addition, the Government have asked the Small Business Service (SBS) to undertake an analysis of the existing financial support from the public and private sector for small businesses affected by disaster. Working with HM Treasury the SBS are identifying current market provision and will report back to Government with its findings and recommendations.
	The Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office is co-ordinating the work being done in support of the Civil Contingencies Committee's current comprehensive review of the country's plans for dealing with emergencies.

Central Office of Information

Tim Collins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to revise and publish the guidelines governing the political impartiality of the Central Office of Information.

Christopher Leslie: None. As with all civil servants, staff in the Central Office of Information are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code. The Guidance on the Work of the Government Information also applies.

Union Duties

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff in his Department, agencies and non- departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: The information is as follows:
	Cabinet Office: one full time local union representative.
	Cabinet Office agencies: two officers who spend part of their time undertaking union duties on an ad hoc basis, but do not have time formally allocated to them for this work.
	Cabinet Office non-departmental public bodies: 14 staff who receive a total 367 days paid leave for union rates.
	Cost to public funds
	1998: £55,375
	1999: £60,850
	2000: £59,235
	2001: £61,700.

Accountancy (Secondments)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish a list of the employees of (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Deloitte and Touche, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants who have been seconded to work for the Government in each year since 1997.

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff were seconded between (a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Christopher Leslie: The information provided has been collected from Government Departments. Departments provided details of when any secondment started, to avoid double counting. A secondment covers all periods from three months to three years or more. When any secondment is set up great care is taken to ensure that no conflict of interest issues arise.
	
		
			  Arthur Andersen Deloitte and Touche Ernst and Young KPMG PricewaterhouseCoopers 
		
		
			 1997–98 2 1 1 1 9 
			 1998–99 3 1 2 1 3 
			 1999–2000 1 2 3 4 5 
			 2000–01 1 1 6 2 4

Energy Industry

Tom Brake: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the value was of each sponsorship of Government (a) Departments and (b) events there has been by (i) BP, (ii) Shell, (iii) Exxon-Mobil, (iv) Enron, (v) Conoco, (vi) Texaco and (vii) TotaFinaElf (viii) in the last five years; when each occurred; if he will place related documentation in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: In line with the Government's commitment in their response to the sixth report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in Departmental Annual Reports.

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what has been the expenditure of his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: Expenditure on newspaper advertising since 1997 is as follows.
	
		£000 
		
			  Department Agencies 
		
		
			 1997–98 237 — 
			 1998–99 242 — 
			 1999–2000 552 14 
			 2000–01 697 11 
		
	
	Expenditure for non-departmental public bodies is included within the Department figures and could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost.
	The vast majority of the increase in advertising and spend between 1998–99 and 2000–01 was for recruitment advertising for open competition posts.
	Each campaign may use national and regional media. The target audience/message to be conveyed influences our choice of media. For national advertising, a mix of broadsheets and tabloids have been used frequently. For regional advertising, space has been taken in many prominent regional newspapers as well as hundreds of more local papers.
	A breakdown of their expenditure on newspaper advertising by title could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.